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NXT TV TAPING REPORT
NOVEMBER 28, 2018
ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
REPORT BY TOM STOUP, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
If you attend a live event, please send results in the format of the following report to pwtorch@pwtorch.com. Thanks!
Rhea Ripley was spotted at the food trucks, enjoying congratulations from fans as her UK Women’s Championship win is no longer a secret as of its airing earlier today.
Kayla Braxton plugged Tommaso Ciampa’s presence, ECIII vs. Bobby Fish, and Ricochet vs. a “surprise opponent.”
(A) Luke Menzies pinned Mansoor Al-Shehail in a dark match. Al-Shehail has clearly been working on a babyface entrance routine. Menzies tried on a new hooligan bruiser gimmick, in a new coat and hat and sporting a billy club. A new referee officiated the match. Menzies won with a maneuver similar to Pete Dunne’s Bitter End.
(1) Matt Riddle submitted Punishment Martinez. Martinez looked imposing but fell to the Bromission.
As Riddle departed, Kassius Ohno appeared and clocked him with a discus elbow.
(2) Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler with Jaxson Ryker) defeated Roberto Carillo & Raul Mendoza via pinfall. Carillo got quite a little spotlight before falling to a team finish. Ryker did not interfere.
(3) Shayna Baszler (with Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir) submitted Dakota Kai. Duke and Shafir were hyped in their first appearance in front of the NXT TV crowd, nicely amplifying Baszler’s calm arrogance by comparison. The crowd chanted “Team Kick,” “Ronda’s shadow,” and “Two time.” Kai was more resilient than ever for longer than ever but Baszler eventually bested her as Duke and Shafir played it up at ringside.
The heels ganged up on Kai after the match until Io Shirai ran in for the save and cleared the ring, taking Baszler down with a palm strike. Duke and Shafir pulled Baszler out of further harm’s way and backed off.
Tommaso Ciampa entered with new crowd lights added to his entrance scheme. He call himself TakeOver’s MVP, and singled out particular fans as well as Mauro Ranallo as unbelievers in his title reign. Aleister Black interrupted, a crowd reaction preceding his theme as he could be blatantly seen getting in place for his lights to go up. Black credited Ciampa as Johnny Gargano’s puppetmaster, and said he sees “original sin” in Ciampa before invoking his rematch clause for TakeOver Phoenix. Gargano interrupted, saying he isn’t finished with Black. Pleased with the development, Ciampa eased right in to that puppetmaster role and verbally stoked the flames between the two. Black & Gargano exhibited intensity that wonderfully masked their scripting. Ciampa said he felt the two of them should fight in a steel cage. Suddenly the unusual accoutrements affixed to the ringposts made sense. Gargano took Ciampa’s lead and made the cage match challenge official, then evaded a Blxck Mass. Black hit Blxck Mass on Ciampa instead.
Bobby Fish was introduced for his match with ECIII, flanked by the rest of the Undisputed Era. Adam Cole called ECIII an idiot, said the Era are only just getting started, and said they will soon all be draped in gold.
(4) Bobby Fish (with Adam Cole, and tag team champions Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) pinned ECIII. Fish targeted the very serious ECIII’s injured knee to no avail until a distraction from the Era exposed an opening. ECIII felt closer here to the John Cena type some have predicted he could become. Fish appeared to shake off a whiplash scare when he hit the ropes awkwardly. He rolled up ECIII for the win.
The Era swarmed ECIII but Heavy Machinery ran in for the save. ECIII hit the One Percenter on O’Reilly, and Otis Dozovic followed up with the Caterpillar.
(5) Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch pinned The Mighty. Lorcan & Burch, in opposite red and blue boots that make it look like they share pairs, started in a flurry and found success in a comeback when they hit their team finish.
The walls of the steel cage were positioned behind commentary for later construction.
(6) Mia Yim pinned Reina Gonzalez in a qualifying match for a Women’s Championship #1 Contender fatal four-way. Gonzalez aggressively slung a lasso and cowbell around during her entrance, and kicked and clubbed at Yim from the onset. At one point Yim ducked a clothesline, so Gonzalez simply swatted her with another to the back with her other arm. Yim went wild with chops and landed Seoul Food for the win.
Kayla Braxton announced Kassius Ohno vs. Matt Riddle, and confirmed the Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano cage match. She said Ricochet’s mystery opponent was about to be revealed.
(7) Ricochet pinned Tyler Breeze to retain the NXT North American Championship. Breeze returned to NXT TV to a big ovation. Ricochet won with a driver combination after a competitive match. Ricochet shook Breeze’s hand and gave Breeze the ring as fans chanted “Please don’t go.”
(8) Dakota Kai & Io Shirai defeated Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir via pinfall. Duke started off against Kai, showing some of her MMA prowess but needing help from Shafir to get the upper hand. Shirai got the hot tag, Kai booted Duke from the apron, and Shirai hit a moonsault on Shafir for three.
(9) Dominik Dijakovic pinned Aaron Mackey. Dijakovic destroyed his opponent, climaxing with a finish similar to the GTS.
(10) Heavy Machinery defeated a tag team via pinfall. Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight got strong pops all night despite their long directionless booking. As Knight made easy work of one of his opposing wrestlers, the Undisputed Era appeared on the stage to observe. Dozovic and Knight hit repeated Compactors on their diminutive opposition, making sure the Era was paying attention and even once lifting their victim’s shoulders before a three count.
(11) Matt Riddle submitted Kassius Ohno. Ohno ducked the move that put him away at TakeOver War Games at the start. Riddle worked from beneath Ohno’s signature strikes, but eventually caught Ohno’s senton and locked in the Bromission for the win. Riddle’s playing to the crowd is noticeably more animated when the red light is off, compared to his uncontainable energy at the last taping when he debuted (or, de-butted, as it were).
Riddle offered Ohno a fist bump, which Ohno initially sulked away from. Ohno then returned, but suckered Riddle in and repeatedly slammed him against the posts and stairs. Ohno then sarcastically bumped the fallen King of Bros’ fist as the crowd sang “You suck” to the tune of Ohno’s theme.
Kayla Braxton announced the Women’s Championship #1 Contender fatal four-way match with Bianca Belair, Lacey Evans, Io Shirai, and Mia Yim, and Heavy Machinery vs. the Undisputed Era for the Tag Team Championships.
(12) Jaxson Ryker pinned Mitch Taverna. Ryker won in short order with an awkward slingshot powerbomb with Taverna more drooping over the ropes than bouncing off them. After the match Ryker went back to redo the finish for TV, but it looked terrible again. He finally got it on a third try, which drew a big pop.
(13) Bianca Belair defeated Lacey Evans, Io Shirai, and Mia Yim in a fatal four-way to become #1 contender to the Women’s Championship. Evans was impressive right away, taking her offense to the collaboration of Shirai and Yim. At one point Belair hit Shirai with a massive spear, earning an “NXT” chant. Evans scored the most believable near fall on Yim after a Woman’s Right, but Shirai broke it up. Shirai hit a moonsault on Evans, but Belair began whipping Shirai with her braid. Belair alley-ooped Shirai to the outside on to Yim, then hit her new finish on Evans for the win.
(14) Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong defeated Heavy Machinery via pinfall to retain the NXT Tag Team Championships. Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight dominated the early phases until Strong awkwardly dumped Knight to the floor from the apron. Trapped in Strong’s leg lock, Knight squirmed toward his corner but O’Reilly helped pull Strong back. Dozovic got the hot tag and cleaned house. Knight went for a moonsault but O’Reilly rolled out of the way. O’Reilly got giddy when the bell accidentally rang in his favor after a mere two count. The heels then hit their high-low team finisher on Otis Dozovic for a clean victory. The champs celebrated with the other members of Undisputed Era on the stage.
The referees erected the cage. Due to the venue’s limitations, the cage was shorter and less sturdy than what we’ve grown accustomed to in WWE, but the sight was quite the novelty. The lighting scheme for when action spills outside the ropes was used through the duration of the main event.
(15) Johnny Gargano pinned Aleister Black in a cage match. Gargano began the affair by running in during Black’s preceding entrance, as Black was entering the cage. The two fought outside before the match officially commenced. Black gained an upper hand and fed Gargano on to the canvas. Gargano immediately began trying to escape, and eventually crotched Black before hurling him in to the chain link. Black turned the tables with a moonsault and threw Gargano in to all four walls. Black considered escaping when he had the chance, but climbed back down from the wobbly structure to inflict more damage. Even from across Full Sail Live Mauro Ranallo’s exclamations could be heard. Gargano nearly squirted through the door as Black drove knees in to his temple, but Black pulled him away. Gargano wore Black down with the Gargano Escape. Black set up the Blxck Mass but Gargano attacked Black’s leg and drove Black’s head in to the turnbuckle and then the cage. Black hit a desperation Blxck Mass but collapsed, unable to make a quick cover. Both wrestlers went for separate exits. Gargano began climbing down the outside of the cage as Black crawled for the door. Tommaso Ciampa ran in and slammed the door on Black’s head. With Black dazed, Gargano climbed back in and stood in the corner opposite Ciampa. After much consideration and many “DIY” chants, the former partners and fierce rivals hit their old team finish on Black. Ciampa waved “bye bye” to the somewhat rattled and contemplative Gargano, and exited. Black was laid out for a long time before Gargano finally collected the decisive fall, and continued to lay unconscious as fans filed out. As he exited off camera, Gargano hugged children wearing Johnny Wrestling shirts.
If you attend a live event, please send results in the format of the following report to pwtorch@pwtorch.com. Thanks!
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