SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch come out. They are facing Cezar Bononi and Adrian Jaoude
(1) ONEY LORCAN & DANNY BURCH vs. CEZAR BONONI & ADRIAN JAOUDE
Burch and Bononi to start. Burch has added a Gomez Addams mustouche. Bononi takes offense from Burch, then double team offense. Bononi is in trouble. Bononi gets to the corner. Very unique wrestling from Jaoude, who is able to throw Burch into the corner for a beatdown. Nigel McGuinness points out that Bononi and Jaoude can communicate in Portuguese since they are both from Brazil, without their opponents understanding. Burch breaks free and tags in Lorcan who unloads his stiff offense on both Bononi and Jaoude. Tag to Burch, double team DDT gets the win.
WINNERS: Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Have I ever seen Burch get a pin before? Fun match, I think everyone in this ring belongs in this ring. While Bononi and Jaoude both have work to do, I love what I see of them after accounting for their experiene level.
-Billed for tonight is Nikki Cross facing Bianca Belair, and Shayna Baszler is “in action” tonight against an unnamed opponent.
-New music comes on, it’s NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa absolutely did NOT need entrance music. What he was doing was working amazingly well. He is here to talk.
He says that his music is a message from him to everyone else to shut up. In a mocking voice he makes fun of everyone saying that he was the one who attacked Aleister Black. He tells everyone that he confronts and attacks people in front of audiences, invoking the Lars Sullivan defense. He congratulates whoever attacked Black, but says it wasn’t him. It doesn’t matter who attacked Black, he would have won anyways.
[Q2] Ciampa continues to rant and rave but doesn’t really hit any new points. He calms down a bit. He tells folks that if they want to be champion they should follow his lead.
[ J.J.’s Reax: I didn’t mind the music nearly so much after he explained it. I appreciate that Ciampa continues to evolve and refuses to get stale. ]
Already in the ring with the end of her music playing is Violet Payne. I beleive this is her debut. Out comes former NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler. I think we know how this goes.
(2) VIOLENT PAYNE vs. SHAYNA BASZLER
Baszler immediately takes Payne down and mounts her. Payne to her knees, Baszler with a knee to the face, then wrist work looks like Payne’s arm will break. Baszler stomp as Mauro Ranallo begs Payne to tap out. Kiridufa Clutch gets the tapout.
WINNER: Shayna Baszler at 1:27. It’s so much fun to see Bully Baszler back.
Post-match, Baszler takes her time releasing the hold to knock Payne out completely. After posing to celebrate her win, Baszler nudges Payne with her foot a few times to match sure she was out, then leaves. Baszler changes her mind and comes back to the ring, drags Payne back in the middle and re-applies the Clutch. Referees come out to yell at Baszler and she eventually lets go. Then Baszler does it again, showing that the referees are not able to protect the wrestlers. She decides to throw Payne outside the ring. Despite a few scattered cries from the crowd, NXT Champion Kairi Sane does not make the save.
-Lars Sullivan is next to face Raul Mendoza.
-Cut to the parking lot. Heavy Machinery doing a selfie video threatening to get to the bottom of the Black whodunnit. They mention Ciampa, who then shows up. Otis Dozovic and Ciampa start jawing and booking a match with each other, but William Regal is there to break it up, and demands that Ciampa comes to his office.
-Undisputed Era in their backstage setting rip War Raiders apart. I don’t disagree with their criticisms. Then Adam Cole brings up NXT North American Champion Ricochet facing NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne next week.
[Q3] Lars Sullivan makes his entrance to demolish Raul Mendoza.
(3) RAUL MENDOZA vs. LARS SULLIVAN
Mendoza ducks Sullivan which just angers Sullivan. Drop kick then kicks to the legs and chest give Mendoza hope, springboard enziguri. Sullivan blocks a roundhouse then beals Mendoza right into the ring from the outside. Then he throws Mendoza across the ring. Then a third time. Sullivan demands Mendoza gets up, then rams into him in the corner. Sullivan gloats, Mendoza hits a chop then takes a huge forarm. Sullivan with a neck crank. Mendoza gets to his feet, then a jawbreaker to get some space. Mendoza gets feet up, then dodges a should ram. Ranallo is calling a possible upset. Mendoza slips through the ropes, enziguri, springboard dropkick puts Sullivan on a knee. Sullivan catches Mendoza mid-air, hits a powerslam, then lands forearms. Freak Accident.
WINNER: Lars Sullivan at 4:10. I really love Raul Mendoza in this role, and feel like the crowd will pop big for his first victory. I don’t feel that Sullivan was hurt here, Mendoza’s style made it believable that he could elude Sullivan for that long.
-“Earlier today” with Dunne. He says his mindset is fine. He acknowledges that he involved himself in Ricochet’s business, but Ricochet has a title he wants. Ricochet has barely had the title, and he is the longest reigning champion in WWE.
-Backstage with Ricochet. He laughs at the “five minutes” comments and says that it is more like a month. Ricochet reminds us that he has a long history. He vows to become NXT’s “one and only double champion” and gives Cathy Kelley a wink.
[ J.J.’s Reax: for what is presumably a face-vs-face match that has had the slightest fraction of a build, this is super hot. ]
-Vignette on Forgotten Sons. Apparently they hang out in junkyards and step in mud puddles. They promise they will never be forgotten again.
-“Last week” some random people are being talked to and then the camera turns around to Dakota Kai and Aliyah arguing. LAcey Evans and Deonna Purrazzo show up. The tag team match is booked for next week.
-In William Regal’s office, he thanks NXT Women’s Champion Kairi Sane for her help. Someone bangs on the door. It is Kassius Ohno, wearing a Cesaro/Kidd shirt. The lawyer talks to Regal, then Regal says he doesn’t need to talk to Ohno. Ohno gets angry, asking if he is that invisible. Regal says that Sane already gave him an alibi. Regal says that Ohno looked perturned. Ohno gets sarcastic, then acknowledges that he has a chip on his shoulder. He asks if he needs to buy a ticket, wear a suit, and sit on the front row of Takeover to get attention. Regal denies that he is overlooking Ohno. Ohno demands that Regal send his next new toy to him.
[ J.J.’s Reax: it’s a shame that they didn’t introduce Ohno’s previous feud with Regal from about 5 years ago here. ]
[Q4] Belair and Cross out for their match. Belair has her fans, but Cross has the whole crowd.
(4) NIKKI CROSS vs. BIANCA BELAIR
Cross squats in the corner, then Belair demands Cross fight her. Belair doesn’t buy into the mind games. Cross charges, Belair shoves her down. Cross plays crazy, then ducks under punches. Cross scares Belair into falling backwards. Belair is furious. Shoulder block and Belair reasserts herself. More crazy from Cross. Monkey flip to Belair. Sleeper on Belair, who transitions to a backbreaker for two. Belair overhead presses Cross, walks around the ring, then drops her. Cross rolls under a split splash. Crossbody takes Belair down, then she starts to steamroll Belair. Thesz Press. Cross kicks a hole in Belair, who is struggling. Cross to the top. Belair rolls to the apron, Cross takes her feet out and traps her in the apron to deliver blows. Belair sends Cross into the steps, then snaps Cross with her braid. Belair tries re-entering the ring, but Cross jumps on her back to try a sleeper hold. Belair slams backwards to drop Cross, but it leads to a double countout.
WINNER: Double count out at 5:15.
Post-match they start brawling on the ramp. Belair just loses it and it becomes a pull-apart brawl with Jessicka Carr and Drake Wertz leading the effort. Belair actually puts her hands on Carr a bit. Belair throws Cross over the announcer booth and starts to walk away, Cross gets on top of the top then lands a crossbody to Belair and the mass of referees.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Fine episode. The whodunnit continues to rub me wrong, but at least it is given an opportunity for some interesting storylines to develop like Cross – Belair and Ohno’s quest for relevance.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 9/5 NXT TV REPORT: Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream, Ohno vs. Kona Reeves, Street Profits vs. Forgotten Sons, Kairi San
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