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Csonka’s NXT TV Review 1.24.18
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Csonka’s NXT TV Review 1.24.18
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– No Way Jose defeated Cezar Bononi @ 3:16 via pin [*½]
– Bianca Belair defeated Latoya @ 3:35 via pin [*½]
– For a Shot at The NXT Title at NXT Takeover: Johnny Gargano defeated The Velveteen Dream @ 13:47 via submission [***½]
– Follow all of my reviews at this link.
– My Top 23 EVOLVE Matches of 2017.
– My Top 24 ROH Matches of 2017.
– My Top 8 Matches of December 2017.
– My NJPW WrestleKingdom 12 Takeaways.
– My Top 38 WWE Matches of 2017.
– My Top 25 Matches of 2017.
– Velveteen Dream opens with a promo, saying we all dream about becoming NXT champion. Gargano dreams of it, and Dream says he is a star, but not now, because the other choice is the Velveteen Dream. Gargano is filled with doubt, and Gargano’s dream will be over tonight.
No Way Jose vs. Cezar Bononi: Bononi looks to overpower Jose to begin, but Jose hits a shoulder block, atomic drop and arm bar. Bononi fights to his feet, slamming down Jose by his hair and hitting a dropkick. He follows with rights, and the pump handle powerslam gets 2. Bononi grounds the action, working a chinlock. Jose fights back, hitting a neck breaker. He follows with jabs, and forearm strikes and the powerslam. Jose hits the windup punch and Bononi is done. No Way Jose defeated Cezar Bononi @ 3:16 via pin [*½] Jose wins in his return match. The outing was largely ok, but Bononi ‘s offense came off as a bit awkward at times here.
– We get a great video package for Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole at Takeover.
Bianca Belair vs. Latoya: Nice to see Belair back on NXT TV. Belair overpowers Latoya to begin, hitting a shoulder block and then lays the boots to her in the corner. Shoulder blocks in the corner follow, and then follows with a side back breaker. Belair shoves Latoya around, and follows with clubbing strikes. Latoya fights back but Belair drops her with a forearm strike. Belair grounds the action, and then slams Latoya down with a double chicken wing slam. Belair misses a charge, Latoya to the 2nd rope and leaps of and gets cut off by Belair. The reverse powerbomb/alley oop finishes it. Bianca Belair defeated Latoya @ 3:35 via pin [*½] This wasn’t bad. Belair looked good, but it just lacked a sense of urgency, and was a bit too lackadaisical.
– Percy Watson interviews Shayna Baszler & Ember Moon. Moon calls Baszler a bully and says she takes short cuts and tries to injury people. Moon questions if Baszler can actually hang in the division. Baszler says it isn’t about anyone else, it’s only about Moon. Moon says she’s champion for a reason and Baszler won’t come into her division and take shortcuts. She has responsibilities as champion, but Baszler doesn’t understand that. She adds that Baszler won’t win at Takeover. Baszler says Moon achieved her dreams, but the difference between them is Baszler doesn’t care if anyone knows about her path. When Moon wakes up at Takeover and sees her walking away with the title, she will be walking away with Moon’s dreams. Baszler doesn’t care about the NXT universe, but they’ll have to get used to her. I hated the over-layed music on this interview as they tried way too hard to be “serious and intense.” This didn’t do anything to hype me up for the match.
– We now go to part two of the TM-61 history video. Part one was awesome. We get highlights of their NXT run, and the injury to Shane that ended up sidelining the team, although they did face the Authors of pain in the Dusty Classic finals. The Revival took them out in storyline, which is a feud we never got as the Revival was called up. Shane says he needed that pain to leave him to get rid of thier weakness. People have no idea what they are capable of yet. They will prove that they are everything they say they are, and are coming after the tag titles, because they are the mighty, and the mighty don’t kneel. They return to action next week.
The Authors of Pain vs. Johnny & Jimmy Boots & Tights: The AOP attack at the bell, hitting corner DVDs. No contest apparently as they cut a promo on the Undisputed Era, promising to win the tag titles at Takeover. They then hit the super collider on the poor jobbers. That was some good old fashioned Road Warriors style destruction, making the AOP look like the monsters they are.
For a Shot at The NXT Title at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia: Johnny Gargano vs. The Velveteen Dream: Gargano has won the title shot, but only got into the mini-tournament because Dream “was injured.” Dream & Vega got under Gargano’s skin, leading to a great fiery babyface promo from Gargano, who agreed to put his shot on the line here. Dream is playing mind games, wearing a Gargano shirt to the ring. We have a split crowd to begin. Dream looks to work the arm, but Gargano escapes and grounds the action. They battle for position on the ground, and work into a stale mate. Dream talks shit and Gargano locks in the Gargano escape, but Dream makes the ropes and bails to the floor. Post break, and Dream poses, but gets dropkicked to the floor. Gargano follows with the apron cannonball, keeping control. Back in and Dream cuts off the slingshot spear and hits a swinging neck breaker. Dream follows by laying in strikes to the back. Dream talks trash about Gargano taking his spot, and chokes him out in the ropes. Gargano gets a backslide for 2, but Dream cuts him off, tossing him to the floor. Dream heads up top and then drops down, laughing at the crowd for getting excited. He then follows to the floor, and continues to work over Gargano. Gargano fires up with chops, but Dream slams him onto the apron. Post break, and Gargano is firing back with rights and clotheslines. The enziguri follows and then forearms. Gargano follows with the rolling kick and hits the flatliner off the ropes for 2. Dream cuts of Gargano, attacking the back and neck, which he targeted earlier. They trade pinning attempt, and Dream hits a superkick, but Gargano rebounds with a big lariat, covering for 2. Gargano lays in strikes, hits a running kick, but Dream hits a sweet DDT, scoring a good near fall. Dream heads up top, but Gargano cuts him off and sends him to the floor. Gargano now hits the suicide dive. Back in and Gargano heads up top but Dream crotches him, follows him up top and Dream hits the DVD off the ropes! Dream rolls and covers for 2, for another good near fall. Dream heads up top, pauses as he favors his arm, and the elbow drop eats knees. Superkick by Gargano and he follows with the Gargano escape, Dream taps. Johnny Gargano defeated The Velveteen Dream @ 13:47 via submission [***½] This was a very good main event, with Dream again delivering and Gargano playing the never say die babyface so well. They had some really good near falls, worked a good pace and kept the crowd the entire time. Gargano enters Takeover on a huge roll, overcoming another obstacle, and is now looking to win the title against a man he’s 0-2 against.
– Post match, Almas & Vega arrive. Almas & Gargano stand off and then Almas ties to attack, but Gargano fights him off at first, but Almas cuts him off and tosses him to the floor. Gargano fights back to the apron, hits an enziguri and slingshot DDT. Gargano picks up the NXT title and stands tall to “you deserve it” chants.
– NEXT WEEK
* TM-61 Returns
* Nikki Cross vs. Lacey Evans
HERE IS SATURDAY’S TAKEOVER CARD
* NXT Title Match: NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas (with Zelina Vega) vs. Johnny Gargano
* Extreme Rules Match: Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole
* NXT Women’s Title Match: NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler
* NXT tag Team Title Match: NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era vs. The Authors of Pain
* Velveteen Dream vs. Kassius Ohno
– End Scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
