SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT ON USA TV REPORT
OCTOBER 7, 2020
ORLANDO, FLA., AT CAPITOL WRESTLING CENTER
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY MATT HUSTWAITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Vic Joseph, Beth Phoenix, Wade Barrett
[HOUR ONE]
– A highlights package of NXT Takeover XXXI aired, including the launch of the Capitol Wrestling Center.
– Vic Joseph welcomed viewers to the show as Tomasso Ciampa made his entrance for his match with Kushida. This match was brought forward by NXT General Manager William Regal after a “backstage incident” between Ciampa and Kushida.
(1) TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. KUSHIDA
Both wrestlers lock up and Kushida slapped Ciampa. Ciampa returned the favor with a slap of his own. Ciampa tried for an early pin but Kushida kicked out of the rollup. Kushida hit a cartwheel dropkick, sent Ciampa to the corner and landed a high kick. Kushida began to work over Ciampa’s arm. Ciampa turned the tide with a big dropkick and kept control with a headlock. Ciampa hit a neckbreaker and started to get cocky, giving himself a pat on the back. Ciampa hit a legdrop and covered Kushida for a one-count. Kushida pumped himself up and fired back with a series of punches. However, Ciampa stopped Kushida’s momentum with an Irish whip into the turnbuckle. Ciampa locked in a headlock and pummelled Kushida’s shoulder. Kushida tried to get Ciampa in the hoverboard lock but Ciampa avoided the move. Ciampa attempted a Widow’s Bell but Kushida escaped. Ciampa ended up on the ring apron and was knocked to the floor by a Kushida handstand double boot, as the show went to commercial. [c]
Kushida was in control coming back from commercial but Ciampa quickly cut him off. Ciampa sent Kushida over the top rope to the apron, where Kushida grabbed Ciampa’s arm and slammed it on the top turnbuckle. Kushida brought Ciampa back into the ring and unloaded on him, ending in an enziguri. Ciampa tried to score with the Fairytale Ending, but Kushida fought him off. Both wrestlers went back and forth with strikes and Kushida hit a German suplex. Kushida hit a big kick and followed up with an armbreaker. Ciampa fought out of the submission and landed a powerbomb on Kushida. Both men recovered on the mat as the referee began to count. Both wrestlers made it back to their feet and exchanged blows in the middle of the ring. Ciampa hit a fisherman’s suplex into a pin for a nearfall. Ciampa went for the Fairytale Ending which was again fought off by Kushida. Ciampa unloaded with kicks on the face of Kushida. Kushida turned the tables and managed to apply the Hoverboard Lock.
Velveteen Dream appeared out of nowhere and went for an axe handle off the top rope but missed Kushida and took out Ciampa, leading to the referee calling for the disqualification.
WINNER BY DISQUALIFICATION: Tommaso Ciampa at 14:30
– Kushida quickly disposed of Dream and sent him over the ringside barricade. Ciampa was frustrated in the ring and the announcers put over how neither wrestler wanted the match to end this way. [c]
(Hustwaites Analysis: I was wondering on Twitter earlier tonight about how they would book this match, considering the similar pushes Kushida and Ciampa have been receiving. Even though it makes sense to have a DQ, I groaned when I saw Velveteen Dream appear. Considering this resulted in another disposal of Dream by Kushida, this is hopefully just another write-off of Dream in front of a wider TV audience, as opposed to a sign Dream will continue to be featured on TV while there are still outstanding questions regarding the #SpeakOut issues. As for the match, both wrestlers looked good and they gave just enough to still leave plenty for a higher profile match down the road.)
– Ember Moon was already in the ring coming out of commercial. Moon said she was shocked that she was allowed to talk and warned that she would be corny. She wasn’t lying, as she talked about discovering “Ember’s Law” as she rode her motorcycle around for thousands of miles. Moon said she wasn’t going to do what others want and declared her intentions to go after the NXT Women’s Championship. Io Shirai cut Moon off (thank god) and walked on to the entrance set. Shirai was immediately cut off by Rhea Ripley, who complimented Moon’s new attitude before getting blindsided by Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez. Kai and Gonzalez brawled with Moon and Ripley before William Regal came out and booked a tag-team match between the four wrestlers.
– Footage aired of Drake Maverick arriving at the Capitol Wrestling Center. An off-camera interviewer asked Maverick about what he has been doing over the last couple of weeks. Maverick excitedly shared his plans for his tag-team with Killian Dain, before Dain arrived and tried to put Maverick in his place. However, Maverick was not deterred and announced that Maverick and Dain would be facing Ever Rise tonight. [c]
(Hustwaite’s Analysis: The look might be bad-ass and tough, but Moon’s promo delivery was still just as it always was. That was quite deflating after the build-up to her return but, hopefully, we’ll see a different side to her develop over the coming weeks. I can hardly contain my excitement as to what Drake has in store for Dain, their storyline is a very entertaining guilty pleasure of mine.)
– McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Io Shirai backstage, who said that none of the four brawling women were her problem. She slapped her NXT Women’s Championship and said that the belt is her problem.
– Undisputed Era were in the locker room and discussed the events of NXT Takeover XXI. Kyle O’Reilly apologized for not getting the job done against Finn Balor but was comforted by his stablemates. Adam Cole didn’t know why Ridge Holland got involved, but Cole spoke directly into the camera and told Holland that he would regret his actions.
– Happy, bouncy entrance music with whistling played as Dain and Maverick made their ring entrance. Maverick was thrilled as he danced to the ring, but Dain was not impressed and angrily shouted for the music to be cut.
(2) KILLIAN DAIN & DRAKE MAVERICK vs. EVER RISE
Dain aggressively tagged himself out of the match early. Chase Parker targetted Maverick’s arm and tagged in Matt Martel, who hit a spinning heel kick on Maverick. Maverick tried to tag in Dain, but was cut off by Martel with a hard clothesline. Martel taunted Maverick and Parker came in to double team Maverick. Martel went for a cover but Dain broke up the pin. Dain dragged Maverick to the corner and tagged himself in. Dain dominated Ever Rise with a succession of clotheslines. Dain went for a Vader Bomb in the corner and Maverick tagged himself in, to Dain’s dismay. Dain hit Parker with a pump kick. Dain then hoisted Maverick up for a powerbomb, as Maverick called out “what are you doing?”. Dain powerbombed Maverick on to the prone Parker, and the referee counted the pinfall.
WINNERS: Killian Dain & Drake Maverick at 4:00
– Maverick was thrilled with the victory and tried to get Dain to dance with him. Dain chose to lay-out Maverick with a punch instead. As the happy music continued to play, Dain carried Maverick to the back over his shoulder, as Maverick gave a thumbs up to the crowd.
(Hustwaite’s Analysis: I know, I know – I’ve spent weeks talking about how I’m not a huge fan of the silliness that’s making its way into NXT. However, Maverick plays his part so well and, at its heart, this is a fundamentally classic type of story being told. The sheer enthusiasm of Maverick is hilarious and I laughed out loud a number of times during this segment. I love this.)
– A Toni Storm vignette aired, focusing on how Storm is considering her return as a new beginning. [c]
– Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae were shown at their residence, arguing about their performances at NXT Takeover. A 65″ TV with a gift bow on it was on their front porch, a gift from Indi Hartwell. LeRae was confused by this, while Gargano was thrilled to finally have a new TV.
(3) AUSTIN THEORY vs. LEON RUFF
Ruff attempted an early roll-up for the upset victory, but Theory kicked out. Theory missed a clothesline and shoved Ruff to the mat. Ruff managed to avoid Theory again and managed to hit a neckbreaker and a clothesline. Ruff covered Theory for a two-count. Ruff walked the top-rope and slipped into a Theory TKO. Theory covered Ruff for the victory.
WINNER: Austin Theory at 1:45
– Theory grabbed a mic and addressed Adam Cole, saying that a victory like that is what Theory is capable of when he has time to warm-up. Theory proclaimed himself as the future of NXT and that there was no-one who can do anything about it. Dexter Lumis entered with a stoic stare and made his way to the ring.
(4) DEXTER LUMIS vs. AUSTIN THEORY
Lumis knocked Theory down with a throat punch and asserted his dominance, tossing Theory around the ring. Lumis hit a charging Theory with a Thesz Press and landed successive strikes from the mounted position. Theory took a powder outside of the ring and Lumis followed him. Back in the ring, Lumis hit a bulldog for a two-count as the show went to picture-in-picture commercial at the top of the hour. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
During the picture-in-picture commercial, Theory managed to take control of the match and kept control as the show returned to full screen. Theory taunted a downed Lumis and hit a vertical suplex for a two-count. Theory taunted Lumis again, which gave Lumis an opportunity to turn the tables with a series of strikes. Theory cut Lumis off and drove him to the mat for another two-count. Both wrestlers tried to hit suplexes. Lumis hit Theory with a spinebuster. Lumis landed a trio of hard punches and sent Theory to ringside with a monkey flip. Lumis hit a slingshot suplex for a nearfall. Theory hit a big dropkick, but Lumis got back to his feet first – terrifying Theory. Theory tried to run away, but Lumis pulled him back and took Theory down with a sideslam. Lumis locked in the Silencer. The referee checked on Theory and determined Theory could not continue, calling for the bell.
WINNER: Dexter Lumis at 12:10
– Cameron Grimes ran-in after the match and attacked Lumis with a Cave-In Stomp.
– McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez about their upcoming tag match. Gonzalez took aim at Rhea Ripley and Kai called out Ember Moon for trying to jump ahead of her for an NXT Women’s Championship opportunity. [c]
(Hustwaite’s Analysis: It is still a strange situation with Theory, who continues to be put in these high-profile positions. While he is yet to come out on top in a meaningful match, that he is such a regular feature shows that there is apparently no concern about his outside-of-the-ring issues, ala Velveteen Dream. The match was fine, and was just a means to transition to a Lumis vs. Grimes program.)
– Cameron Grimes was backstage and justified his attack on Dexter Lumis. Grimes felt disrespected by Lumis and said he would take Lumis to the moon.
– A Prime Target video segment aired, focussing on the Finn Balor vs. Kyle O’Reilly match at Takeover XXI. A doctor provided updates on both men, confirming that Balor would be out for some time thanks to a fractured jaw in two places. Balor won’t be able to talk for a number of weeks.
– Ridge Holland was shown outside and said Adam Cole has himself to blame for what he suffered at Holland’s hands. [c]
– McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Damian Priest backstage. Priest was back to talking about his after-parties. Priest said he burned Johnny Gargano’s name into the NXT North American Championship belt and that whoever is next in line will get a Reckoning.
(5) RIDGE HOLLAND vs. DANNY BURCH
Holland took early control coming out of a lock-up. Holland and Burch wrestled on the mat, which Burch took control of with a wristlock. Holland landed a big knee to escape the hold. Burch hit a forearm strike and took Holland to the corner for a series of hard kicks and punches. Holland tried to fight out of the corner but Burch continued his attack. Burch took to the second rope and hit a missile dropkick. Holland avoided a German suplex by landing an elbow strike. Burch eventually scores with a German suplex but only manages a two count. Burch transitioned into a crossface, but Holland escaped and drilled Burch with a big clothesline. Holland hit the Emerald Flowsion for the victory.
WINNER: Ridge Holland at 2:05
– Holland stomped Burch as Holland left the ring. Burch got up and went after Holland, sparking a brawl. Holland gained the upper hand until Oney Lorcan ran to the aid of his tag team partner and cleared Holland from the ring. While Lorcan checked on Burch, Holland blindsided Lorcan and restarted the brawl. Wild stuff here as the referees tried to separate the two wrestlers. Lorcan dove onto Holland at ringside. Holland fought back and drove Lorcan into the apron. Both wrestlers ended up back in the ring and Lorcan unloaded on Holland, before the referees managed to get Holland out of the ring. Lorcan hit another dive over the top rope and took out Holland, who caught him but seemed to land hard. A referee threw up the “X” signal as the cameras cut back to Lorcan and Burch in the ring.
– Back at the Gargano residence, Johnny Gargano was looking intently at his new TV and called Candice LeRae into the room. Gargano told LeRae that there was a USB of footage from the Women’s Battle Royal, which shows Indi Hartwell saving LeRae from elimination numerous times. Both Gargano and LeRae were impressed. [c]
(Hustwaite’s Analysis: Wow. That post-match brawl as absolutely wild. The intensity was strong and it was fantastic to watch. Everyone came out stronger from that segment, with Burch and Lorcan looking like tough badasses who never back down from a fight, while Holland continued to look like a dominant force. Despite the craziness of the brawl, it looked like Holland suffered an unfortunate injury from what appeared to an otherwise well-executed, straight-forward dive and catch spot. Hopefully Holland is OK, because I am dying to see more from Burch/ Lorcan and Holland, even though it makes no sense since the storylines for Holland should be focusing on Adam Cole.)
– The latest edition of “Thatch-as-Thatch-can” aired. Timothy Thatcher focused on life lessons learned, saying that you aren’t defined by losses but the pain that is inflicted.
– Back in the arena, Ridge Holland was shown being stretchered out as the announcers talked in a legitimate, somber tone. Vic Joseph referenced Wade Barrett’s history of injuries and Barrett praised the WWE medical team and said injuries to wrestlers are hard to watch. Holland gave a thumbs up from the stretcher.
– In a complete change of pace, Shotzi Blackheart made her entrance on a Halloween-themed mini-tank.
(6) SHOTZI BLACKHEART vs. XIA LI
Blackheart got the jump on Li and tackled her into the corner. Blackheart hit a reverse slingblade. Li mounted a comeback with a punch and chop combo. Li worked Blackheart into the corner and landed several knee strikes. Li took Blackheart to the opposite corner and lifted her up for a superplex. Blackheart countered the move and sent Li falling to the mat. Blackheart dove off the top rope and hit a senton for the victory.
WINNER: Shotzi Blackheart at 1:45
– Li took in her defeat in the corner until Boa showed up with an envelope. He spoke to Li in Mandarin(?) as Li looked at the letter inside. Li walked to the back with Boa. [c]
(Hustwaite’s Analysis: It makes sense for Li to turn to a new manager as her character navigates her losing streak. I just hope it doesn’t become a lazy, heel Chinese faction in this COVID-19 world. The match was pretty short and I imagine it had to be trimmed because of the time required to safely attend to the injured Ridge Holland.)
(6) EMBER MOON & RHEA RIPLEY vs. DAKOTA KAI & RAQUEL GONZALEZ
The heels tagged in and out to keep control of Moon with aggressive attacks. Gonzalez went for a powerbomb, but Moon avoided the move and landed a dropkick to Gonzalez. Moon unloaded on Gonzalez, but Gonzalez powered up and splashed Moon in the corner. Kai tagged in and went after Moon, but Moon sent Kai to the floor and dove over the top rope to take her out. Ripley went after Gonzalez and hit a cannonball before returning to her corner and tagging in. Ripley hit a big boot on Kai. Gonzalez interfered and kicked Ripey out of the ring as the show went to a picture-in-picture commercial. [c]
Back in full screen, Gonzalez was tossing Ripley around the ring. Gonzalez tagged out to Kai. Ripley tried to make the tag to Moon, but Kai applied a choke to stop her from making it to the corner. Ripley came back with a flapjack to Kai and made the hot tag to Moon. Moon unloaded with kicks on Kai, and fought off Gonzalez before hitting her with a flatliner. Gonzalez turned the tide with a sidewalk slam and covered Moon for a two-count. Both Moon and Gonzalez tagged out. Ripley lifted Kai up and dropped her with an electric chair. Ripley applied the Prism Hold, which was broken up by Gonzalez. Kai took advantage with a backbreaker but could only manage a two-count. Ripley tagged Moon, who ran in and hit Kai with the Roaring Elbow. Moon covered Kai but Gonzalez interfered again. Ripley came in and took out Gonzalez with a clothesline to the floor. Kai managed to send Ripley to ringside with a big boot, but was then hit with an awkward powerbomb from Moon.
Moon climbed to the top rope for the Eclipse, but Gonzalez knocked her down. Ripley grabbed Gonzalez and put her through the announce table with a Samoan drop. Moon climbed back to the top rope and hit the Eclipse on Kai for the pinfall.
WINNERS: Ember Moon & Rhea Ripley at 11:50
– Moon and Ripley had a moment after the match, showing some tension. They eventually raised each others hands as the show went off the air.
(Hustwaite’s Analysis: A little sloppy in parts, but a hot match nonetheless. Considering she has been out for so long, Moon looked pretty good – although the powerbomb to Kai left a bit to be desired. Things seem to be a little bit lost with Ripley at the moment, as so much activity with other wrestlers in the women’s division, along with some big returns, spreads the storytelling thin. She seems to be just being inserted into situations to keep a presence up.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: It felt like they went into this show with every intention of making a number of newsworthy moments to jump-start another rushed build to the next NXT Takeover. However, a lot of bad luck got in their way. The injury to Ridge Holland potentially throws a real spanner in the works for the TV leading up to Takeover so, hopefully, for Holland and NXT’s sake his injury isn’t as bad as it initially appears. It felt like they tried to inject a sense of chaos and unpredictability into the show, which worked in some regards. I do prefer it when matches are promoted ahead of time and there is a sense of structure though, as opposed to the Teddy Long “tag team main event playa!” throwbacks. I’m still not sold on “ThunderDome-lite” for NXT, but I will admit the tweaks they made to the setup after Takeover were improvements.
Make sure to check out Kelly Wells’ report for his perspective on this show and make sure to check out the PWT Talks NXT podcast when it drops tonight. You can find me on Twitter at @mattyhuss.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.