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Kevin’s NXT Review 12.18.19

December 18, 2019 | Posted by Kevin Pantoja
Johnny Gargano NXT 12-18-19 Image Credit: WWE
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Kevin’s NXT Review 12.18.19  

A video package starts the show recapping last week.

NXT Championship: Adam Cole [c] vs. Finn Balor

This will have limited commercial interruption like Riddle/Cole on 10/2. Balor kicks this off by taking Cole to the mat. Balor rolls out of a sunset flip and gets two on a dropkick before slowing the pace again. He picks up steam and dropkicks Cole outside through the ropes but Cole responds with a superkick to the knee that floors him. That puts Cole in the driver’s seat when they go back inside. Each time Balor gained momentum, Cole stopped him with a shot to the knee. When he’s not going after the knee, Cole puts the focus on the neck. Balor gets going and picks up a near fall. There’s a slow, awkward moment leading to a Backstabber near fall for Cole. Slingblade from Finn but his dropkick is cut off by a sick superkick from Cole for two. Strike exchange in the middle of the ring ends after Cole hits a pump kick and Balor hits the Pele. Cole falls on Balor for two. They get up with rage in their eyes. Cole hits a superkick to the knee but has Panama Sunrise blocked. Cole stops 1916 and hits Ushigiroshi for two. Balor with a standing double stomp and the John Woo dropkick. His knee keeps him from climbing quickly, so Cole is able to kick him off the top and to the outside. Cole’s taunting costs him as his Panama Sundirse attempt outside is countered into a back drop. John Woo dropkick into the guardrail. Cole avoids the Coup de Grace and Finn’s leg gives out. Last Shot to the back of the head somehow only gets a near fall. Cole wants to try again and he points teh finger guns at Balor. That giveS Finn time to counter. John Woo dropkick. Coup de Grace connects. 1916  attempt but it’s JOHNNY GARGANO slowly appearing on the stage. The distraction for both Finn and the referee allows Cole to hit a low blow and Last Shot to retain.

Winner: Adam Cole in 15:14 [****]

Johnny Gargano, still moving slowly, grabs a steel chair. He surrounds a fallen Balor, who starts to beg off. Before he can escape, Gargano hits him with the chair twice. Outside, Gargano continues the assault until Finn is able to escape to the back. Johnny stops and touches the spot on the floor where he got hit with 1916.

LAST MONTH ~ We get a recap of Dunne/Dain/Priest from TakeOver: War Games.

Damian Priest vs. Killian Dain

They run and attack each other at the bell. However, the pace slows down rather soon as Dain wears Priest down with a waistlock. They brawl to the outside where Dain continues to target the ribs. It makes sense given Priest’s injury after TakeOver. Priest tries to fight back but can’t lift Dain and takes a gutbuster. The crowd chants for Dain to shave his back hair but he remains in control. Commercial time. Returning, Priest starts firing shots to make a rally and hits a big leaping back elbow. He continues with offense but again fails to lift Dain with his bad ribs. Scratch that as he fires up and hits the suplex on the third try. Priest hits a dive outside and nails South of Heaven for a close near fall. Dain turns the tables and gets his own near fall. Priest gets two on a victory roll and adds a cyclone kick. He fails to lift Dain and takes a fireman’s slam. BIG BOY SENTON hits but Priest gets his knees up on the Vader Bomb. The Reckoning hits and he gets the win.

Winner: Damian Priest in 14:16 [***]

The NXT Year-End award winners will be announced on the 1/1/20 episode.

NEXT ~ Cameron Grimes vs. KUSHIDA

The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic returns in 2020. The teams will be announced on the 1/1/20 episode.

Cameron Grimes vs. KUSHIDA

KUSHIDA still has Grimes’ hat from last week. As the match begins, he gets him down and starts wrenching back on the arm. He adds a dropkick to the outside after Grimes rolls there for safety. He remains in control heading into commercial. Grimes turns the tide during the break with his moonsault slam. He holds serve with technical offense after returning from the break. KUSHIDA rallies with quick offense and his cartwheel dropkick combo. Running Sliced Bread gets two. Grimes gets two on a fantastic tilt-a-whirl side slam. The same for a bridging German suplex. Handspring heel kick from KUSHIDA and a somersault dive to the outside. However, he lands awkwardly and is hurt. Back inside, KUSHIDA nearly wins it with a sick counter off the to into a modified bomb. Just when he seemed to have it won, Grimes hit the Cave In stomp from out of nowhere to win.

Winner: Cameron Grimes in 13:59 [***1/2]

A video package airs to hype Io Shirai. She’s in action next.

Io Shirai vs. Santana Garrett

Quick start with Shirai showing off her athleticism. They go into a standoff with neither woman getting the advantage. That is until Garrett connects on a superkick. After an Io flapjack, Garrett ires off a barrage of moves. That includes a back roll into a front flip into a forearm. Suplex for two rolls into the Last Chancery by Garrett. Io turns the tide and hits running double knees. Moonsault connects and that’s it.

Winner: Io Shirai in 4:00 [**3/4]

A video package hypes Worlds Collide, which will pit NXT against NXT UK on January 25th.

Pete Dunne vs. Travis Banks

These two were part of one of the most hyped PROGRESS Title matches ever. They go right after each other. Dunne wails on Banks and causes him to regroup before stomping on his hands. Commercial. They spend that time hitting each other with stiff shots. Banks avoids a corner charge and dropkicks him twice before adding a diving cannonball. Tope suicida connects. He gets two after a springboard dropkick. Dunne stops Slice of Heaven with a forearm and gets two on the Explex. Banks has him scouted and gets a big counter but Dunne catches the Slice of Heaven and turns it into an old school Super Dragon like Curb Stomp. Kiwi Krusher gets two as he rallies. They go up top where Dunne hits an avalanche Explex. A kick and Bitter End warp this up.

Winner: Pete Dunne in 10:53 [***1/4]

Cathy Kelley interviews Dakota Kai about Mia Yim putting her through a table. Dakota says all that matters is that she won. She’ll keep doing that until she’s champion.

NEXT WEEK ~ Roderick Strong is issuing an open challenge. Also, Lio Rush and Keith Lee vs. Tony Nese and Damian Priest.

NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Rhea Ripley

There’s a big fight feel in the air. They go through some wrist work and Shayna goes to stomp on Rhea’s arm. Rhea catches her foot and fakes a swing that sends Shayna to the mat out of fear. Shayna slaps Rhea in the back of the head and takes a boot to the mat. She rolls outside heading into break. During this time, it looks like Shayna takes control. However, when we return, Rhea drops her face-first on the turnbuckle. They trade strikes before going up where Rhea delivers a superplex for two. Jessamyn and Marina run out to try and spoil this for Rhea. She knocks them back and trips up Shayna, remaining in control. Rhea uses a somersault off the apron to take out Duke and Shafir, while Shayna waits and hits her with a knee. As Rhea tries getting up with her arm on the steel steps, Shayna stomps on it. Rhea beats the countout but Shayna immediately kicks at the arm. Time for another commercial. During the break, Shayna kept the pressure on the arm. Duke and Shafir were also ejected. Doctors checked on Rhea and determined she could still go before Shayna drove her arm into the post. Shayna toys with her inside as she fires off kicks. Rhea fights back but has Riptide blocked. She dropkicks Shayna but it knocks the referee out. Riptide hits but there’s no official. Outside, Shayna puts on the Kirifuda Clutch but Rhea backs her into the post to break it. Shayna grabs a chair and slides it in, but Rhea is closer to it. She boots Shayna away but takes a DDT onto it. Shayna covers as the referee comes to and Rhea kicks out. Rhea escapes a Clutch attempt and wants her submission but Shayna counters into the Kirifuda Clutch. It’s on in the middle of the ring. Rhea turns over and tries crawling with Shayna on her back but she falls back towards the middle. Rhea tucks her chin under the forearm and gets back up. Rhea is fading. The referee goes to drop the arm but Reah instead grabs his shirt. She sits up and rolls over to escape. Stomps on Shayna’s head. She crosses Shayna’s legs and hangs her up in the Prism. Shayna fights for the ropes and kicks Rhea to the corner to get free. Pump knee follows. Shayna sets her up top and slaps her. She stops to talk trash and gets hit for it. Rhea with a middle rope Riptide to win the title.

Winner: Rhea Ripley in 20:50 [****]

After replays, the ring is kind of a mosh pit. Fans are in, along with Candice LeRae I believe, and Rhea is carried on their shoulders in celebration.

10.0
The final score: review Virtually Perfect
The 411
That was one of the best episodes of wrestling television that I've ever seen. There was no lull like a Forgotten Sons match or anything. A fantastic opener, some very good matches in between featuring lots of talented people, and then an incredible moment to close things out.
legend

article topics :

WWE NXT, Kevin Pantoja