411’s WWE LFG Season Three Report: Episode Eighteen

-Written: 8.23.26
-Source: A&E
-Run Time: 1 Hour (w/ commercials)

-Plug: Episode 17

-Greatest Moments seems to be done for this season, so we get two new episodes of LFG tonight. I will have the second episode posted tomorrow.

-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.

-Vic Joseph and Jeremy Borash handle commentary.

-Then! Now! Forever! Together!

-Romeo Moreno is working on his art in the PC. He uses spray paint as his choice of art and says he has not painted anything this large. He is painting the ring canvas. He likes drawing eyes and says you can put them everywhere. He compares wrestling to his art and talks about going with the flow as you might get some pretty cool stuff.

-Show opening!

-Matt Bloom is at the table with Booker T, Bubba, and Kevin Owens. The plus WrestleMania as I guess this episode was tapped just before the showcase of the immortals.

-Match 1: Bubba gets Harley Riggins vs. Shady Elnahas. Shawn thinks Harley is goofy and they want to get that out of him. For Shady, they want him to show more emotion.

-Match 2: Kali Armstrong vs. Nikkita Lyons. Sweet! Two Evolve Champions. KO gets the match and Bloo, knows he will have fun with it.

-Main Event is Booker’s and he gets Kam Hendrix and Romeo Moreno. Booker says if anyone can get this done, he will.

-Bubba meets with Harley and Shady. He tells Harley there is a disconnect with him humping the mat and they just want him to big big. Bubba isn’t a fan of generic big men, but for some people it works. For Shady he wants to know the top three things he can do with his judo. Bubba tells him that submissions are boring. He wants to see a fire in his eye and thunder in his fist. They want to run with Harley being a tough guy and Shady being a pretty boy.

-Bubba has an idea for the opening and they work through it. This is the good stuff I like to see. They work out Harley giving a boot as Shady comes off the ropes. Harley thinks he wanted him to catch Shady in the air, but Bubba wants him to land. They apparently got it!

-Commercials!

Harley Riggins vs. Shady Elnahas

-Bubba is yelling for Shady to show some fire and emotion. Bell sounds and Harley starts talking trash. Harley runs up the corner and soaks in the boos. Shady does the same and soaks in the cheers, but as he comes down Harley boots him in the chest. Bubba is pissed as that didn’t look as good as they wanted. “I pulled out a measuring tape to show them how to do it.” Booker tells him to calm down. Harley with a running clothesline and follows with a forearm to the small of the back. Harley with a tilt-a-whirl slam, but misses off the ropes. Shady with an arm-drag and gets a monkey flip. Sling Blade! Shady runs into an elbow in the corner. He slides off a slam and comes off the middle ropes (eventually) with a cross-body for two at 2:49.

Winner: Shady Elnahas via pin at 2:49
-That was way short and kind of wonky in spots. Bummer as I was expecting more. 1/2*

-Commercials!

-Bubba shows Shady how he should be acting when he makes his entrance. Bubba’s antics get a laugh out of me. He goes over the kick and how it looked small with no extension. The mechanics off the finish were also off and Shady says Harley was a little too close. Harley tells him he should have been better for him. Bubba tells them it happens and improve on one thing.

-Bloom tells Harley not to put his arms on the ropes when taking shoulders as it looks bad and doesn’t sell the move. Shady knows he needs to find a middle ground for his entrance. He will listen to his coaches, but also needs to be himself.

-Jazz is working with Kali and Big Cat Kitta! Kali talks about trying to be a heel, but the crowd still cheers her because she has swag. KO says Kali acts like a heel, but sometimes you are so good at being a heel, people cheer you. KO would know! KO continues to be the coach who offers advice but also wants them to figure things out. We seem to be getting a lot more time on the coaches working with the kids this week. I am not complaining. KO breaks when Kitta says “Happy Thanksgiving,” and explains it because she uses The Yam Slam! Awesome!

-Commercials!

Kali Armstrong vs. Nikkita Lyons

-As mentioned Kali was the first WWE Evolve Women’s Champion and Kitta is the current Champion. Kali gets a take down and drops a fist to the face. Hard whip to the corner, but misses a charge. Kitta with a series of arm-drags and gets a shoulder tackle. Cross-body gets two. Kali reverses a whip but gets caught with a head scissors. Kali walks Kitta out of the corner and gets a powerbomb. She chokes in the corner to get in her heel offense. All three Legends are watching backstage. Kali talks trash and Kitta fights to her feet. Kali with another powerbomb, but Kitta counters with a kind of rana for two. Kitta gets caught with a spinebuster for two. Kali with a head scissors and she tells the crowd to shut up. Kitta is able to force a break and both women are down. Kitta with a running kick and gets a release German Suplex. She hits a running forearm in the corner and Tiger Driver for two. Kali uses the ropes to create space and snaps Kitta neck first off the top rope. She gets ready for The Kali Konnection, but Kitta catches her flush with a superkick to the face. Yam Slam finishes at 5:02.
Winner: Nikkita Lyons via pin at 5:02
-Started slow but going and they had a solid match. I think they would knock it out of the park today on Evolve or NXT. **1/4

-Commercials!

-KO tells them everything they did looked good, but wanted them to get a bit more out of everything. They know it felt rushed and KO agrees. He says they got out of the head scissors too quick and needed to get the crowd into it. He thinks they both have a very bright future. He thinks it is inevitable that Kali will be a big star and he thinks Nikkita might be better off on RAW or SmackDown with her charisma more than NXT.

-Bloom tells them they are good enough to work off the cuff. Lyons says she can hear the crowd now and can feel it now so she doesn’t have to think as much. He loved the finish and I agree. Lyons asks Bloom to meet her parents, who were in attendance. Dad (Todd) and Mom (Michelle) have been there through off of it. Dad says it has been a long road and a tough time for a bit, but she has been kicking ass all year. They are happy to see her come out of the darkness. We love parents!

-Booker is with Romeo and Kam. Booker notes he has worked with Kam a lot as they were together in Season One. Romeo calls Booker a legend and you have to listen. Romeo is young, but has been doing this for eight years and Kam calls him the veteran. Booker wants to see what Romeo has planned. He wants to see it clean and not sloppy. Booker throws out an idea and Kam is so impressed he gives Booker a handshake.

-Commercials!

Romeo Moreno vs. Kam Hendrix

-Booker curses a lot as he gives both men a pep talk before the match. Lockup and Romeo uses his amateur skills to control on the mat. Kam lands a back elbow and Romeo bumps like they discussed. Romeo back with a dropkick and gets an arm-drag into an armbar. He bends Kam’s fingers for added damage. Kam pulls the hair to back him into the corner. Romeo ends up on the apron and tries a head kick, but Kam blocks and then knocks him off the apron. That sends Romeo bouncing off the announce table. Kam goes to follow, but the ref stops him, so Kam goes out a different want and hits a running clothesline. Back in the ring Kam with a series of knees in the corner. Romeo fires up and goes crazy with chops, but gets caught with a Showtime Kick. He hooks an abdominal stretch and hooks the head. They get out of it quick. Romeo with a dropkick and he hits a clothesline. Running kick in the corner followed by a backdrop slam for two. Kam rolls to the floor, so Romeo flies out with a dive to pop the crowd. Missile Dropkick gets two! Springboard Moonsault misses, but Kam misses another Showtime Kick. Romeo with a rana into a pin for the three count at 4:58.

Winner: Romeo Moreno via pin at 4:58
-This was fun and would not have been out of place on WWE Main Event. They seemed to do a lot, but it worked for them here. **3/4

-Bloom and Shawn Michaels give both men props as they come through the curtain. Booker says Romeo has to settle in to put himself in place. He thinks Kam is one check away from moving to the next phase. Booker has always been a Kam fan.

-Outside in the NXT Parking Lot Romeo meets up with his Mom (Adelaida Garcia-Zozaya Guillen) who came in from Madrid. Awesome! Romeo says the moment was special and he just seems so happy to be able to hug his mom. Again, we love parents. Go call your mom and tell her you love her if you can

-We know now we have just a few more weeks of this show. I will be back with the next episode tomorrow. It’s no secret now that I am a big fan of this season and how this show has morphed. They are giving me what I want to see from a show like this and then giving me moments with parents is just the icing on top. Thanks for reading!