Csonka’s NXT TV Review 7.25.18

Csonka’s NXT TV Review 7.25.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Non-Title Match: NXT North American Champion Adam Cole defeated Sean Maluta @ 2:10 via pin [NR]
– Lacey Evans vs. Tenilla Price @ 2:00 via pin [NR]
– NXT Title Match: Tommaso Ciampa defeated Champion Aleister Black @ 22:20 via pin [****¼]

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– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– You can check out my Mae Young Classic II wish list at this link.

– You can checkout my top 40 matches of June column at this link.

– Here is my latest appearance on TSN’s Sunday Night’s Main Event (01:12:30 to 01:29:45), talking the week that was in WWE TV.

The #Slammiversary edition of Sunday Night's Main Event is now onlinehttps://t.co/cD4txP7XA8

— Sunday Night's Main Event (@SNMEradio) July 23, 2018

– We open with a great Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa video package.

NXT North American Champion Adam Cole vs. Sean Maluta: Maluta competed in the CWC and has made sporadic appearances on WWE TV since. They lock up and work to the ropes. Cole talks shit and takes him down, slaps him around, and has a good laugh at Maluta. Maluta fights back and picks up some near falls and hits a neck breaker. Cole quickly cuts him off and lays in mounted rights. Maluta tries to fire up but flies into a superkick and the last shot finishes it. NXT North American Champion Adam Cole defeated Sean Maluta @ 2:10 via pin [NR] A nice squash for Cole to play into the post match angle.

– Post match, Adam Cole (BAY BAY) gets the mic and is about to put himself over, but Ricochet interrupts. Ricochet is impressed that Cole didn’t run from a fight, but of course it was only a non-title match. Ricochet puts over Cole for al of the success he’s attained, but also knocks him for doing nothing since winning the North American title. Ricochet wants a title match at Takeover, but Cole doesn’t want to lower himself to fight Ricochet. Ricochet calls him a coward and that was the ticket to piss off Cole. Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong arrive, trying to use the number games, but the War Raiders are here to stop that bullshit. Then try to find another way out but Mustache Mountain appears behind them and attacks, they brawl, and Undisputed eventually escaped. Undisputed Era aren’t exactly making friends, are they?

– Earlier today, William Regal set up the contract signing for Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane. Both aren’t great talkers, and a change n the contract signing stetting is appreciated. Baszler immediately runs down Sane, calling her a shell of the woman tat defeated her in the first Mae Young Classic. Baszler reminds Sane that she’s now taken control and completely taken over the division. Sane wants no part of this bullshit, takes and signs the contract, and says that, “I know it. You know it. I can beat you.” This amuses Baszler, who mocks Sane for dressing like a pirate and living in a fantasy world. She also takes shots at Kai & Candice. Sane repeats that she will win in Brooklyn, while Baszler says all we’ll hear is “And still NXT Women’s Champion…”

– WE get clips of EC3 & Velveteen Dream’s recent issues, and next week, EC3 faces Dollar Tree EC3, Konna Reeves.

Lacey Evans vs. Tenilla Price: They lock up and Evans tosses Price across the ring by her hair. Price controls, hitting a broncobuster, and ties Price in the rope by her hair and beats on her. Evans trips her up and hits a slingshot elbow drop and neck breaker. Price tries to fight back, but the women’s right finishes it. Lacey Evans vs. Tenilla Price @ 2:00 via pin [NR] Evans continues to win and keep her momentum.

– Bianca Belair is interviewed backstage and asked about her injury. She refuses to talk about injury by super athletic sex she and Montez Ford had on their honeymoon (those two will have some gorgeous and athletic children). She claims she has nothing to prove because she’s undefeated.

– Shayna Baszler was asked about the words exchanged at the contract signing. Candice LeRae arrives and dares her to talk trash in her face. Shayna says she’s just pretending to be tough, and dares Candice to slap her, but Candice is held back.

NXT Title Match: Champion Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa: They lock up and aggressively work to the ropes. Black takes him down and he starts looking to work the legs of Ciampa. They work into some grappling; Ciampa hits a shoulder tackle, and then cradles him for 2. Black grabs a headlock, and he then gets a cradle for 2. Arm drags follow, and Black maintains control. Black flashes a kick, and Ciampa powders. Black chases and Ciampa teases the DDT in the ropes. Back to the floor and Black lays in kicks and strikes on Ciampa. Back in and Ciampa cuts him off. Black quickly fires back with kicks, taking control and knocks Ciampa to the floor. Black takes a seat and waves at Ciampa. Back in and Ciampa lays in strikes, and stuns Black off the ropes and dumps him to the floor. Ciampa follows and slams him to the steps and mocks Black. Back in and Ciampa hits a basement dropkick and covers for 2. He grounds things with knee strikes, and follows with a back breaker. Ciampa lays in more knee strikes, and locks on an abdominal stretch. Ciampa uses the ropes for extra leverage, breaks, Black wants a German, but his back gives out. Ciampa now locks on a cloverleaf, continuing to focus on the back until Black makes the ropes. To the apron they go, Ciampa follows with strikes, Black fires back as they trade. Black lays in kicks and Ciampa spills into the ring. Black heads up top, gets cut off but slips out and kicks out the knee of Ciampa. Black pulls the bulldog sit down pin, but Ciampa escapes and they work into a double down. Ciampa to his feet, Black as well and they trade strikes. Black fires up, runs wild, and hits a sliding knee strike. More strikes follow and the moonsault oppress connects for a good near fall. Ciampa looks for the DDT, cut off, and Black lays in knee strikes. A flurry of strikes and kicks connect and Black covers for 2. Ciampa begs off, and Black lays in more kicks and Ciampa is down again. He rolls to the apron, Black teases the DDT, but Ciampa pulls him to the floor and attacks the back. Back in and Ciampa hits deep impact for a good near fall. Ciampa sets for the knee strike, Black blocks, but Ciampa hits a huge lariat for a good near fall again. He drops the kneepad, but Black hits a flying knee strike for a great near fall. Black looks to finish him off, but Ciampa rolls him up for 2. Black hits meteora and a German for a great near fall! Ciampa to the floor, Black misses the moonsault and Ciampa slams him into a cameraman. Ciampa hits Black with a crutch for a near fall. Ciampa can’t believe it. He looks for the DDT, but Black dumps him to the floor and follows with a tope! Back in and Ciampa hits the draping DDT for a great near fall. Ciampa pulls up the pads on the floor, grabs Black but the ref stops him. Back in and we get a ref bump. Black mass connects and Black covers for like 10 or so. Black checks on the ref but Ciampa rakes his eyes and Ciampa grabs the NXT title. Johnny Gargano arrives and superkicks Ciampa and grabs the title, accidentally hitting Black. Ciampa recovers and hits a sitout pedigree for the win. Tommaso Ciampa defeated Champion Aleister Black @ 22:20 via pin [****¼] This was an absolutely great match that would have been at home on any PPV or Takeover special. It was intense, hard-hitting, had a great story and the action escalated the entire time as the match went on. I am not a fan of ref bumps and interference, but it worked here as now Gargano, who is obsessed with Ciampa, has to live with the fact that his actions basically gave his nemesis the title he so much wants for himself.

– Ciampa makes the ref put the title on him as he celebrates as our new God.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

I really enjoyed tonight’s edition of NXT. They set up Cole vs. Ricochet, created some fun dynamics for the tag division, Lacey Evans won again, Bianca BelAir continues to make her presence felt, the build to EC3 vs. Dream continues and we got an absolutely great main event and huge title change that also continued the Ciampa vs. Gargano story.