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411’s WWE NXT Report 5.23.18
Heavy Machinery vs. TM61
For some reason, Jonathan Coachman is in the crowd. He’s apparently a Heavy Machinery fan. Otis and Thorne open things. Thorne tires using his speed, but gets caught and Otis throws him around. Knight enters for a tandem shoulder block that gets two. Hip toss and avalanche on Miller, who tagged in. Thorne tries a run in, but Otis nails him with THE POUNCE (PERIOD). HM use Thorne as a battering ram into Miller, who is in Shattered Dreams position. Knight keeps up the pressure on Miller, sending him into the turnbuckle. A blind tag finally allows a turnaround as Thorne takes out Knight with a running European uppercut. TM61 use quick tags to isolate Knight and beat on him. Thorne hits a particularly nasty lariat for the highlight of this section. He wants a suplex but can’t do it. Another uppercut and a tag to Miller. They try a double suplex, but Knight just does one to both of them. Hot tag to Otis, who comes in on fire. Caterpillar connects but Thorn breaks up the pin. Knight tosses him over with a belly to belly but misses an avalanche and takes a spill outside. Miller eats an Exploder inside. Otis goes for a Vader Bomb but Thorne kicks him in the face, sending him to the mat. Miller covers and Thorne holds his feet for leverage to steal it again.
Winners: TM61 in 7:11 [**1/4]
We get a short preview of next week’s in depth look at the EST of NXT. Next week, “Who is Bianca Belair?”
A vignette runs to hype EC3. He says it’ll soon be NX3.
Kairi Sane vs. Lacey Evans
Sane explodes out with a dropkick. She fires off right hands and Evans retreats to the ropes. Chop by Lacey and it was enough to make Kairi reconsider things. She responds with a chop of her own and hits a variation of Destino for two. Evans uses a mule kick to stop her momentum. Evans works a chin lock for a bit, before dropping a knee on Sane’s arm. That becomes her target, which is smart given Kairi’s signature offense. Delayed bronco buster gets Evans a near fall. Sane fights back with an axe kick and Interceptor Spear. Sliding D connects, but Evans rolls outside to avoid further damage. However, Sane hits the diving forearm off the steel steps. She sends Evans in and climbs up, but leaps into the Women’s Right forearm. That ends it.
Winner: Lacey Evans in 5:04 [**3/4]
Outside of Full Sail, Cathy Kelley catches up with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. Johnny has a neck brace and says they’ve come together as a family and made a big decision. He will go out and tell the fans. He may not want to do it, but it has to be done.
Last week, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch were interviewed after their win. They feel they’re in line for a title shot following that.
The Undisputed Era get promo time in the back and call Pete Dune, Lorcan, and Burch lucky. Kyle O’Reilly blames “Peter Dune (he left out the second n in the pronunciation on purpose)” for giving two nobodies some shine. They seem to be set up to face Burch and Lorcan at TakeOver: Chicago. Roderick Strong wants “Mr. #2” Burch in a singles match.
Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet and The Velveteen Dream
Dream sang some of his theme song’s lyrics at Lars during his entrance to get in his head. He begins and flexes on Lars. Lars throws him aside and flexes back. Tag to Ricochet, who tries a lock up and just gets slammed down. Tag back to Dream and they attack together, firing off strike after strike. They double dropkick to the ropes. Dream holds Lars in place, while Ricochet comes in with a springboard dropkick. Dream covers for one. He hits a double axe handle off the top and adds two more. Tag to Ricoche and they fire off a series of forearms, elbows, and splashes in the corner. Lars sends Ricochet to the corner but gets kicked. Ricochet dropkicks him to Dream’s corner. He tags out but almost ends up slammed. He and Dream use a series of kicks and knees on Lars. Ricochet holds him for a head scissors and Dream superkicks him. They both kick him to finally knock him down for two. The team clubs on Lars but he shoves them off and rocks Dream with a lariat. Avalanches connects and he just dumps Dream for two. Lars drives his shoulder into Dream in the corner. He wears him down in the middle of the ring for a bit and clubs him with a forearm. He gives Dream a false sense of a hot tag, then pulls him back with a powerslam for two. Lars comes off the top with a diving headbutt to the lower back. Ricochet breaks up the pin. Lars chases him to the outside. Ricochet baits him around, but gets caught. He kicks away and dares him to enter. When Lars does, Dream drops a middle rope elbow on him. Hot tag to Ricochet who enters with all sorts of strikes and kicks. Dream with a diving cross body. Ricochet adds a standing SSP for two. More tandem offense leads to a 450 splash by Ricochet, though Dream seemed to take a shot from Ricochet by accident. Lars rolls outside. Dream drops Ricochet with the rolling DVD and the crowd is stunned. He shouts something about “being screwed.” Lars enters and hits the Freak Accident for the win.
Winner: Lars Sullivan in 9:46 [***]
Next week, Shayna Baszler defends the NXT Women’s Championship against Dakota Kai. Cathy Kelley interviews Dakota about the title shot and having to face Shayna. Dakota says she’s wanted this title shot for years and getting the chance is insane. She calls Shayna a bully and seems scared again. Shayna walks up to her and Dakota gets quiet. Shayna asks Dakota if she knows she doesn’t stand a chance. DAkota fires up and says, “We’ll see about that.” Shayna is confused at Dakota’s show of courage.
Next week, Aleister Black will speak to the NXT Universe.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae come out to a huge pop. Johnny gets a microphone and a fan says they love him. Johnny loves them too. Last time he came out, Tommaso Ciampa attacked him before an NXT Title match. Every day since then, his body reminds him of a knee to the head into the LED board and being driven off the stage through a table. He’s wrestled his whole life, but he spoke with Candice and realized it’s time to start thinking about their future. Is it worth the toll this feud has taken on his family? The fans chant “yes.” Johnny agrees and rips off the neck brace. Candice tries calming him down, as he demands Ciampa come out so they can finish this. Ciampa strolls out to the stage and Candice runs to the back through the crowd. Ciapa calls Johnny, “boy,” and says that he will finish this if Johnny’s still in the ring when he gets there. Candice returns with officials who hold Johnny back. Gargano tries running around them but it held ay bay. Candice finally gets to him, telling him to think about his future. Ciampa stands in the ring holding the neck brace. He taunts Johnny and wants him to be a good boy and listen to his wife. Johnny hops on the apron and Ciampa knocks him off. He falls onto Candice, knocking her out. Johnny and officials check on her to close the show.