Csonka’s NXT TV Review 2.28.18

Csonka’s NXT TV Review 2.28.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Velveteen Dream defeated Tyler Bate @ 10:15 via pin [**¾]
– Adam Cole defeated Cezar Bononi @ 2:55 via pin [NR]
– Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Sane @ 6:55 via submission [**¾]

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– We get highlights from last week’s show, featuring Johnny Gargano losing (thanks to that fucker Tommaso Ciampa), and due to that, he’s gone from NXT. This was an excellent video package.

Velveteen Dream vs. Tyler Bate: They work some nice back and forth to begin. Bate outwrestles Dream early and cradles him for 2. The dropkick follows and Dream bails to the floor. Post break, and Dream looks to take control. Bate counters out and chases Dream to the floor. Dream back in and hits a running back elbow. He follows with grounded knee strikes to Bate, covering for 2. Dream maintains control, grounding the action and then follows with elbow drops. Dream to the ropes and follows with a double sledge, and again covers for 2. Dream locks on a modified camel clutch, but Bate escapes and fires up with rights. The running boot follows, and then a running uppercut and knee strike off the ropes. The XPLODER follows for 2. Bate now hits the airplane spin, but Dream escapes, only for Bate to hit a vicious lariat for 2. Bate counters the superkick, but Dream hits a big spinebuster and covers for 2. They trade strikes, and then collide heads for a double down. Dream recovers; climbs up top and get s cut off. Bate follows him up but gets crotched. Bate falls to the mat and Dream finishes him with the top rope elbow drop. Velveteen Dream defeated Tyler Bate @ 10:15 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good little opener, they worked well together, but it felt as if it was missing something. Dream winning is the right call, and I am curious to see what the gameplan with Bate is with this losing streak.

– Paul Ellering cuts a promo, and says that the Authors of Pain will win the Dusty Classic and get back their tag team titles.

Adam Cole vs. Cezar Bononi: Fish & O’Reilly are out with Cole. Cole takes time to monologue and praises Bononi for inning the future star award. Cole says that the future stare belongs with Undisputed Era. They toss him a shirt, but it was a trap as Cole attacked and beats him down on the corner. Bononi fires back, taking out Fish & O’Reilly and then hitting a Michinoku driver on Cole for 2. Fish distracts Bononi, Cole hits the superkick and follows with the running knee strike and that’s that. Adam Cole defeated Cezar Bononi @ 2:55 via pin [NR] Squash.

– Post match, Undisputed Era beat down Bononi.

– We get a really good Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler video package.

– The Street profits return with Street Talk, discussing the Dusty Classic.

Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler: Baszler looks to bully Sane to begin, but Sane quickly fires up and fights back. Baszler slows her, and looks to ground things. Sane escapes, heads up top and jumps over Baszler, she then gets a cradle for 2. Baszler has had enough of that shit and follows with kicks and vicious knee strikes, covering for 2. Post break, and Baszler is working the arm now. She follows with a running knee strike, and follows with more kicks, covering for 2. Baszler goes back to the arm, but Sane manages a cradle for 2. Sane now lays in chops and strikes, and then hits the spear; both are down. Sane is all fired up and hits the sliding D. She follows with a clothesline off the top, covering for 2. Sane hits the spinning back fist, heads up top but gets crotched and Baszler now locks in the choke and Sane taps. Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Sane @ 6:55 via submission [**¾] I know that the result will not be popular, and I won’t lie, the booking of Sane is a bit puzzling. But the goal here was to set the stage for the Moon vs. Baszler rematch, and they did a good job of that here ad Baszler continues to look like a badass. For her experience level, she is very calm and composed in the ring, and even though she’s 37, at the rate she’s progressed in just around 110 matches, I still feel she’s worth the investment. We can only hope Rousey is half as comfortable when she finally gets into the ring.

– Post match, Baszler calls out Moon and says when they meet, she’ll either leave with her title or a limb.

Main Event Talking With Almas & Vega: Vega puts over Almas as the greatest NXT champion in company history. She then mocks the fans for thinking Gargano could win, but all poor Johnny could do was go 0-4. Almas doesn’t care about earning respect, he earns money and championships. Almas runs down Johnny, saying he kept coming and kept losing. Almas is supremely douchey here as he mocks “Johnny Jobless.” They look to leave, but Aleister Black arrives. Black stares down Almas, and then Killian Dain arrives and joins the party. They brawl as Almas watches on. Dain wipes out Black with the divide and Almas leaves with Vega. Dain stands tall. This was some fine gloating by the heels, and they also set the stage to find a new #1 contender. I’m looking forward to Dain vs. Black.

– Next week…
* Dusty Rhodes Classic Tournament Match: Authors of Pain vs. TM61

BEHOLD: The 2018 #DustyClassic bracket! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/v676Jwxlp1

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 1, 2018

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.3

The final score: review Average

The 411

Tonight’s episode of NXT TV was a solid show, there was nothing bad, and they did some set up for the next few weeks and Takeover: New Orleans. But with that being said, this felt like one of the flatter shows in a while; it was missing something.