SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 5 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S NXT ON USA REPORT
JULY 8, 2020
WINTER PARK, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
Announcers: Mauro Ranallo, Tom Phillips, Beth Phoenix
[HOUR ONE]
-Phillips introduced the show.
(1) MIA YIM vs. CANDICE LERAE – Street Fight
Mia Yim jumped Candice during her entrance on the stage and beat her up all the way to the ring. She threw LeRae into the ring and then pulled apparatus out from under the ring and threw them into the ring. Mauro called them “toys.” They were chairs, garbage cans, and kendo sticks. Mauro said they are taking their bitter rivalry to a whole new level after not qualifying for the NXT Women’s Title match.
Yim slid a table into ring at 2:00, but LeRae recovered during that time and slide kicked Yim. LeRae then leaned a table into the corner. They struggled to suplex each other into the table, then fought to the floor. Yim took control and brawled with her to the side of the entrance stage. Some bananas were oranges were spared, but not the package of napkins or metal serving tray. LeRae blasted Yim with a fire extinguisher. Yim blocked a suplex off of a platform and then dropkicked LeRae off the platform and through a table below. [c]
Back from the break, Yim was in control, but when she charged at LeRae, Yim side-stepped her and sent her into the chair face-first. LeRae scored a two count seconds later. LeRae put a table flat in the corner of the ring. Yim recovered and backdropped LeRae to slow her plans. Yim put a trash can over LeRae in the corner, then cannonballed into it. It seemed to hurt her body more than LeRae, not counting the impact on the ears. Yim produced brass knuckles. Phillips said William Regal would approve of this. LeRae bashed Yim with a chair a few times before she could the knux.
Yim put LeRae on the table bridged on the corner turnbuckle, then stacked chairs. LeRae put up a fight as the table wobbled. LeRae gave Yim a diving swinging neck breaker onto the chairs below for the three count. Mauro called it a “swinging neckbreaker for the ages.”
WINNER: LeRae in 16:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: I liked that a lot. It was long, but it wasn’t repetitive. They told the story of the match in chapters and didn’t belabor the big moves with ton of implausible kick-outs “for drama’s sake” for an additional five minutes as seems to have been increasingly the trend lately.)
-Mark Henry talked about Adam Cole vs. Keith Lee. He picked Lee to win.
-They went back to the ring where LeRae and Yim were still out on their backs still selling the impact of the finisher. [c]
-Gargano helped LeRae to her feet. Yim sat up and the audience cheered from behind the plexiglass.
-A video package aired on Bronson Reed and Tony Nese.
(2) BRONSON REED vs. TONY NESE
Reed walked out first to cheers from the crowd. Nese aired his abs on the stage as he came out wearing an augmentation of some sort of Captain America motif. He stood soon the edge of the ring and flexed his pecs one at a time. Phoenix called them “pectoral talents.” When Nese made fun of Bronson’s belly, Bronson shoved him and then rubbed his belly proudly. Phillips said it’s a choice between a keg and a six-pack. Nice. Nose backflipped over Brandon and then did jumping jacks while emoting enormous cocky pride. Reed came back with a press-and-drop and senton splash. Nese rolled to the floor.
Reed followed Nese to the floor and head-butted him. Back in the ring, Reed got the better of Nese. After a bionic elbow, Mauro said that was “a tribute to the man who created the Great American Bash, the ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes.” Nese made a comeback and landed a springboard moonsault for a two count. Mauro said Nese has all the tools, but needs to keep his head in the game to reach his potential. Reed caught a leaping Nese with a clothesline and then landed a top rope splash for the win.
WINNER: Reed in 7:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Brisk and entertaining match, with just the right balance of Nese getting in some credible offense, but Reed looking like he’s a level above him by the end.)
-Outside, McKenzie Mitchell was with Robert Stone and Aliya. They walked up to Shotzi Blackheart. Stong asked if she wants to work with him. She turned it down. Stone said they’ll just fine somebody else. Killian Dainties then attacked Stone. Shotzi ran over his leg with her tank. He sold it like he was being electrocuted, yelling, “I’m dying!”
(Keller’s Analysis: I get more of a kick out of the Robert Stone character than might be justified, since I’m not sure what the point is other than comic relief.)
(3) ISAIAH “SWERVE” SCOTT vs. JOHNNY GARGANO
After a methodical start, Scott dazzled with athletic moves, both avoiding Gargano’s offense and dishing out some flashy offense. They cut to a break a few minutes in. [c]
Gargano landed a slingshot spear a couple minutes after the commercial break ended, good for a two count. Scott landed a leaping sidekick to Gargano’s temple. Both were down and slow to get up. Scott scored a two count a minute later with a JML Driver. Mauro said he was so close to scoring the biggest with of his career. Scott got wide-eyed as he contemplated his next move. He climbed to the top rope, but Gargano rolled out of the ring and then grabbed at Scott’s feet. Scott kicked him in the face and knocked him to the Matt floor. Gargano avoided a leaping double-stomp, shoved him into the ringpost, and then landed a poison rana on the floor. (That should lead to a pin almost every time.) Gargano threw Scott into the ring, then landed the Final Beat DDT for the win
WINNER: Gargano
(Keller’s Analysis: Crisp, fluid, smooth, and hard-hitting throughout. I’m not sure what Scott is missing that prevents NXT from elevating him. While he put up a good fight here and looked really good, he continues to come up short of every having that definitive win that moves him up the roster. Instead, he’s still merely the good hand they can rely on for competing TV matches like this before losing.)
-A vignette aired hyping Io Shirai vs. Tegan Nox. Nox said she’s tired of being just the “comeback kid” and is ready to prove she’s a champion. Shirai said Nox needs support to lift her up, whereas she does things on he own. “The only one I rely on is me,” she said.
(Keller’s Analysis: I really like NXT’s presentation of Shirai with her speaking underwater with an eerie sound effect with the translation on the screen. It’s effective. Nox was effective here telling her story as a hungry motivated likable determined challenger.)
-They showed Keith Lee warming up backstage.
-A tale of the tape listed Cole at a very generous 6-0 and 210 lbs. Lee was listed at 6-3 and 340 lbs.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
[HOUR TWO]
(4) LEGADO DEL FANTASMA (Santos Escobar & Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza) vs. DRAKE MAVERICK & BREEZANGO (Tyler Breeze & Fandango)
Phillips hyped that there’d be fewer commercial interruptions in this second hour than ever. Breezango came out on the stage in El Hijo del Fantasma style masks, then unmasked. Breeze and Fandango tried to calm a hyped up Drake before the bell. Drake tagged in, but yelled at Escobar on the ring apron rather than focus on Mendoza. He tagged Breeze back in after Escobar refused to tag in. A few minutes later, Fandango rallied and nocked all three heels to the floor. Then he pressed and tossed Drake onto them at ringside before diving onto them himself. Fandango came up favoring his knee. Mendoza shoved him from behind into the ringside steps. Mendoza grounded Fandango in the ring for a minute or two. (This is where a commercial break would go on a normal show.)
Finally Wilde tagged in Escobar, but he paused when he saw Drake tagged in at the same time. The audience popped and Drake took it to Escobar with a barrage of offense. Drake climbed the top rope, but Mendoza sidekick him off balance and landed his Phantom Driver for the win. Mauro said Drake brought every bit of the fight he could to Escobar, but it wasn’t enough, and Escobar still has Drake’s number. The announcers talked about Drake’s neck injury being a factor. Mauro wondered how much fight he had left in him.
WINNER: Escobar & Wilde & Menzoda in 11:00.
-Mitchell interviewed Gargano and LeRae backstage. They declared themselves the greatest power couple in all the universe. He said he should the one beating Adam Cole tonight to become dual champion. They blamed Finn Balor for getting in his way. LeRae said they have a few wrongs to make right.
(Keller’s Analysis: They are a blast playing off of each other.) [c]
-A sponsored vignette aired on Imperium.
-Drew McIntyre commented on the main event. He said Cole has overcome the odds for over a year, so Cole will win “like always.” He said he’s a bit jealous of the opportunity they each have to win two belts.
(5) MERCEDES MARTINEZ vs. SANTANA GARRETT
Phoenix said Garrett has been around since 2009, and is known as “The Midwest’s Sweetheart.” Mauro said her father (Kenny Garrett) is an accomplished wrestler outside of WWE. Phoenix said Martinez was bullied when younger and had to find an outlet to get the aggression out. Martinez won a dominant match with a fisherman’s buster.
WINNER: Martinez in 2:30.
-A brief preview video aired hyping Damien Priest vs. Cameron Grimes next week. Priest said he’s looking forward to having him on an even playing field for once. “Then the whole world will know Cameron Grimes is a little bitch.”
-Mick Foley predicted that Lee comes on strong and wins with overwhelming force quickly. He said if the match goes longer than ten minutes, he thinks Cole is the favorite.
-Shawn Michaels predicted Shawn Michaels, but then held up a piece of paper that said Keith Lee as he smiled.
-Phillips hyped that the main event would take place uninterrupted next. [c]
-Phillips acknowledged “One Turns to None” by Asking Alexandria as the theme of the Bash. Then the announcers hyped Io Shirai vs. Tegan Nox and Priest vs. Grimes for next week’s show.
-Lee made his way to the entrance stage through the hallway. Mauro said he’s dedicating this match to his trainer “Killer” Tim Brooks who died last week and his grandmother who introduced him to wrestling and who died when he was 12.
(6) ADAM COLE vs. KEITH LEE – NXT Hvt. Title vs. NXT North American Title match
Lee came out first. Then Cole. After formal ring introductions, the bell rang and the audience sang “Oh, bask in his glory!” Cole opened with a side headlock. Cole asked Lee if he was ready to give up already. Lee won a Greco-Roman knuckle lock battle. Cole punched out of it. At ringside, Cole sidestepped Lee and sent him hard into the barricade. Lee’s head knocked plexiglass off the barricade. Cole rolled into the ring to break the count. He continued to strike Lee, and Lee struggled to keep his balance. Cole rolled into the ring to break the count again and continued to work over Lee.
Back in the ring, Cole grounded Lee and applied a head scissors. Cole got in Lee’s face and trash-talked him. Lee grabbed his throat. Cole came back with a switch kick and a neck breaker for a two count. Cole lowered is kneepad. Lee fought back with some quick strikes, but Cole cut him off with a kick. Lee came right back with a powerslam for a two count. Lee said, “I must break him.” Cole kicked him off balance and delivered a back-stabber He scored a soft two count right afterward. Mauro said Lee is an avid tennis player, which has helped him improve his lateral quickness and mental approach. Lee powered Cole down with a superplex off the second rope for a two count.
A minute later Lee landed a sitout powerbomb. Cole rolled to the floor. Phoenix said champions are always aware of every method to stay alive in a match. Cole went for a kick, but Lee avoided it and landed a Pounce and a one-arm slam for a close two count. Lee landed a second rope moonsault for a two count at 13:00. Both were slow to get up. Lee set up a Big Bang Catastrophe, but Cole escaped and landed a superkick. And several more followed by a Last Shot to the back of Lee’s head for a two count. Cole landed a Panama Sunrise two minute later for a near fall. Mauro said he thought that was it. Mauro said this is a battle between two champions “in every sense of the word.” Cole stood and implored Lee t stand. He measured and connected with three straight super kicks for a near fall. Cole landed a Last Shot seconds later, then climbed and sat on the top turnbuckle. He leaped off with a Panama Sunrise, but Lee turned it into a Spirit Bomb. Lee then lifted Cole onto his shoulders and landed a Big Bang Catastrophe for the win. “Keith Lee has made history!” exclaimed Mauro.
WINNER: Lee in 20:00 to win the NXT Title and retain his North American Title in a “Winner Take All” match.
(Keller’s Analysis: Excellent match. Earned every minute it was given. It was disciplined and not excessive in terms of kicking out of big moves. Also good to see it play out without interference.)
-As Lee celebrated with confetti dropping and pyro blasting, they showed Karion Kross and Scarlett watching from a skybox perspective above.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I think NXT overall did a better job than AEW making these two weeks feel like “an event,” although AEW losing its main event factored into that (perhaps, ironically, due to WWE’s sloppy ship). Yes, a big-time main event helps, as does a strong opener. The mid-show content, though, ultimately felt like a regular TV show. There’s nothing wrong with that, either. This show drove some storylines forward and just firmed up some existing character’s journeys. Good episode with a really strong main event.
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