411’s WWE LFG Season Three: Episode Thirteen Report

-Written: 7.19.26
-Source: A&E
-Run Time: 1 Hour (w/ commercials)

-Plug: NXT TakeOver Brooklyn

-Joe Tessitore is our narrator.

-Kevin Owens, Booker T, Nattie, and Bubba Ray Dudley are our Legends. Matt Bloom is the head trainer at The PC and Shawn Michaels is in charge of NXT.

-Then! Now! Forever! Together!

-I will have recaps/reviews of all five episodes of WWE Unreal this week, so keep an eye out for that. I plan to have two episodes done on Tues. and Wed. and then finish the final one Friday. I will also still have Dark Side Tuesday night, Evolve Wed. and Main Event Thursday.

-Nathan Cranton meets Johnny Russo (Lead Writer, NXT) to discuss a new name. Nathan says he is proud of his real name and his dad is his hero. He comes from a long line of farmers, but notes he doesn’t feel like a wrestler. He says it is time for a chance. Russo tells him to come up with a list of first names and last names and mix and match. Cranton notes he had a name he liked and he has trunks with it and even has the name on his car. He asks if that is a good thing as it shows initiative and Russo chuckles at him. He tells to keep his fingers crossed as they have to like it and it has to pass legal.

-Show opening!

-Matt Bloom is at the table and is joined by Nattie (first time in a while), Bubba, and Booker. No KO this week. Booker gets the first match: Harley Riggins vs. Tate Wilder. They continue to beat on the idea they don’t want Wilder to forget the basics. Bloom calls him an adrenaline junkie.

-Nattie gets Masyn Holiday vs. Nikkita Lyons. Bloom says Masyn is stepping up, but he isn’t sure if she understands how to listen to the crowd. Bloom calls Lyons a star and he needs to put equity in her offense. Nattie wants to see more conviction and less going through the motions.

-Bubba gets our Main Event: Nathan Cranton vs. Jaime Garcia. They want Nathan to continue to work on being a believable heel and for Garcia, learning how to sell. Nattie is all for a LFG cheer, but Bubba and Booker just stare at him.

-Booker meets with his kids and says they have 15-20 minutes worth of stuff planned. He tells them about working TV and how if you have seven minutes, you have to hit the mark. Harley wants to do a wet willie spot, and Booker shoots that down. He wants something more serious. They both thank Booker!

-Commercials!

Tate Wilder vs. Harley Riggins

-These two are staples of Evolve. Riggins is good at being a heel and Wilder has been a good face on LFG, so that should mesh well here. Riggins with a side headlock and once shot off, get a running shoulder tackle. Wilder catches him with an arm-drag and goes to a top wristlock. Harley backs Wilder into the corner and delivers a series of knees. He should be using some Kevin Nash offense. He lands a kick to the spine for two. Harley misses a clothesline and another, but catches Tate trying a cross-body. He delays doing something with him, so Tate counters to a roll-up for two. Tate up first and drops him with a clothesline. Booker is enjoying what they are doing. Wilder with a neckbreaker and heads up top. Harley sprints up the ropes and brings him down with a superplex for two. Nice! Harley argues with the ref. Tate escapes a suplex and gets a twisting one of his own. Back up again and the moonsault connects for the pin at 3:43.

Winner: Tate Wilder via pin at 3:43
-Nice little match with a clear face and heel. They kept it simple and it worked. **

-Commercials!

-Booker tells them they are taking steps in the right direction and they seem happy with their performance. Wilder knows he could have done better with his selling, but is happy and puts over Harley being easy to work with. Harley knows he doesn’t have to be a clean out there to beat the crap out of someone. “Simple works well.”

-Nattie asks Big Cat if she is a babyface, but she is a bad guy. Nattie says she loves her and that must be why she thinks of her as a face. Big Cat is our current Evolve Women’s Champion. Nattie is in the ring to go over things with them. I like this stuff!

-Commercials!

Nikkita Lyons vs. Masyn Holiday

-Lockup and Lyons roughs Masyn up, which Nattie is happy to see as it shows who the heel is. Holiday with a dropkick and Lyons bails to the floor to slow things down. Big Cat runs until Masyn is close enough to deck on the floor. In the ring, Lyons throws chops and shoulders in the corner. She stands on Masyn and then drops her weight as she is really making sure we knew she is the heel. Good! Nattie has a big smile on her face. Holiday rolls out of a headlock and hooks an anklelock. Lyons kicks away and regains control. She hooks an abdominal stretch. Lyons misses a kick and Holiday gets a neckbreaker to leave both women down. They start trading blows from their knees and the crowd is into it. They start throwing blows as they fight for position around the ring. Lyons misses a charge in the corner and Holiday gets a roll-up. Nattie wants her to be more explosive for her comeback. They trade roll-ups and pin attempts. “Fight Forever” chant from the crowd. Masyn ends up getting a small package for the pin at 4:55.

Winner: Masyn Holiday via pin at 4:55
-I thought this was solid, but Nattie says she isn’t happy. She wanted more from Masyn. You could also see they were getting a little tired out there. **

-Both women collapse as they get through the curtain.

-Commercials!

-Both women say they are fine and need some water. They admit they were gassed and talk about wrestling cardio being different. Nattie tells them the match structure was fine and she wants more fire from Masyn. She says Masyn needs reps and sadly, won’t get those as she has moved on from the WWE.

-Bloom says both looked tired at the end of the match. That affected their work and he feels for them because this is not easy. They have to do their part though and keep themselves in shape. Lyons notes it is all part of the game as she has been working back from two knee surgeries.

-Bubba is with Nathan and Jaime. Bubba and Jaime talk about the match two weeks ago, where Jaime didn’t click with Braxton. Jaime admits the match should have been much better. The go over who is heel and face and the story is Nathan working the arm. Bubba goes over why Jaime has to sell and be desperate and not just go to a big move. “450 with an Asai Twist, save it for your comeback.” I would really love to hear Bubba try to coach people in AEW. I am not picking a side, I just want to see it.

-Commercials!

Nathan Cranton vs. Jaime Garcia

-Cranton attacks as Garcia was posing on the top during his entrance. No bell as Cranton continues to beat on Garcia. We have seen this spot on this show in the past. Jaime gets to his feet and we have a bell. He flips out of as suplex and hits a modified Claymore. Cranton exposes the steel bar behind the buckle behind the ref’s back. They fight on the apron and Nathan grabs Jaime by the arm and drops it onto the exposed connector. Great bump as Jaime gets knocked off the apron and goes rib/arm first into the announce table. Nice! They milk the ref’s count and we get some good drama as Jaime leaps at 9 to get back in the ring and that pops the crowd. Nathan drops Jaime elbow first on the top rope and drops a knee to the arm. Cranton continues to work the arm in impressive fashion. He talks trash as he yells for Jaime to get to his feet. Jaime starts fighting back, but gets cut off as he misses a dropkick. Cranton hits the ropes, but Jaime hits a desperation dropkick and both men are down. Clothesline from Jaime and another. They each block a hip-toss until Jaime finally hits one that sends Nathan to the floor. Jaime flies off the top to the floor to pop the crowd. Up top and Jaime hits a missile dropkick to the back for two. The crowd is really into this one and Bubba is smiling. Garcia slowly goes up top, but Nathan hits the ropes to knock Garcia to the mat. He drives Garcia’s head into the mat with a knee for the pin at 5:11.

Winner: Nathan Cranton via pin at 5:11
-This was good and one of the better matches in this show’s history. The crowd was into it and they made the most of the time they were given. Good stuff. ***

-Bubba tells them they did great and he enjoyed the match. He compliments Nathan by calling him a bastard heel. He gives them both a thumbs up and they thank Bubba as they shake his heads.

-Johnny Russo hands Nathan a letter as he has his name. Nathan seems happy. We later seem him pull up to the The PC in his sports car and the graphics let us know his new name is “Tristan Angels.” He says that name can headline WrestleMania.

-Good stuff again this week! I continue to love this show even if nobody seems to notice or care. Two solid and a LFG BANGER to close things. Angels has a real chance and I am curious to see how he continues to develop on Evolve. I am thinking he has to be the name to eventually take the title from Harlem Lewis.

-Thanks for reading!