wrestling / TV Reports
Kevin’s NXT TakeOver: Phoenix Review
Loading...The opening video package runs down the card for tonight.
NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undisputed Era [c] vs. War Raiders
Special entrance for the War Raiders. Undisputed attack at the bell and send Hanson outside. Roddy follows with a dropkick and they pound on Rowe. Rowe breaks through with a clothesline. After sending the champs outside, Rowe slams Hanson off the apron and onto them. Inside, Strong bounces off Hanson when trying a shoulder block. Avalanche and flying knee connect. Rowe throws Hanson into Strong and gets two. Momentum shifts when Rowe is thrown into Hanson. Undisputed stomp away on Hanson. Kicks and chops in the corner. Strong escapes a suplex, tags Kyle and they try a double whip. Hanson blocks so they kick him and send him in. Kick and running forearm before Kyle goes to a front face lock. Hanson fights out of it with strength and tags Rowe. He runs over both champions. Tilt a whirl stomach breaker on Strong. Rowe then launches him into Kyle. Kyle kicks Rowe off the apron. Rowe catches the Wrecking Ball dropkick but not a Kyle knee. Hanson misses a tope suicida and hits the floor hard. Modified STO on Kyle inside. They go to Rowe’s knee to chop him down to size and take control. Strong shows impressive power as he works on Rowe. Tag to Kyle for a tandem front suplex that hangs him out on the top rope. Kyle drives elbows and knees into his ribs, adding a sliding knee. Rowe powers out of a triangle, so Strong comes in with a backbreaker that gets two. Hanson makes it back to the apron. Strong tries knocking him off but has no effect. Rowe gets close to tagging, but Strong’s attempt made Hanson try to come in. The distraction allows Undisputed to pull him away. Rowe fights them off and sends them both outside. He struggles to crawl over to Hanson. As he gets close, Strong knocks over Hanson with a knee and covers Rowe for two. Rowe with knees untl Kyle hits a kick to the thigh. They trade shots until Rowe hits a big knee that sends them both down. Hanson gets the hot tag and hits Roddy with a back body drop. Side slam by Hanson and cross body splash. He misses th avalanche but does a cartwheel and ends up taking out both champions. Hanson hits opposite corners with clotheslinea. Kyle misses a boot that catches Strong. Hanson slams him and hits a Bronco Buster on Strong for two. Strong hits an enziguri and clothesline to get an opening. Kyle and Rowe trade shots again. He catches a leaping Roddy but Kyle sweeps his leg out. Everyone gets up and hits each other in a row. Gutbuster from Roddy, spin kick from Hanson, discus forearm by Kyle. He is launched up into a powerslam. Hanson takes out Strong with a tope suicida. Kyle gets covered for two. Rowe carries Kyle and tags Hanson. Slam and Hanson adds a splash but Strong breaks up the pin. They dump him out and call for Fallout. Strong back in and is sent out again. Kyle slips free and knocks Hanson down on the top. Kick to the head sends Rowe outside. Strong goes up for a superplex that connects. Kyle follows up and adds a diving knee that gets a near fall. Series of strikes from the champs on Hanson. Olympic Slam gets two. Roddy hits a knee that breaks up a Hanson move. They nail the High/Low and Hanson kicks out. Hanson uses agility to get free of the and hits a handspring double back elbow. Tag to Rowe his powerslam/powerbomb combo. They hoist up Kyle and connect on Fallout. New Champions.
Winners and New NXT Tag Team Champions: War Raiders in 16:57 [****]
Pete Dunne and Toni Storm are shown in the crowd.
We see Ricochet warming up backstage.
Kassius Ohno vs. Matt Riddle
They fire off shots in the middle of the ring. Ohno bails for a breather. Riddle runs around the ring and catches him with a forearm off the steps. Inside, Riddle deadlifts him into a gutwrench suplex. Ohno catches him with a kick. He flips onto the apron but eats a forearm. Riddle wants a sunset bomb to the outside but Ohno hangs onto the ring skirt to block. He puts it over Riddle’s face and stomps on it. Ohno wears him down with a cravat and catches him with a back elbow. Riddle tries to fight back with shots but Ohno lays into him. A boot knocks Riddle outside. The replay of one of the boots is especially nasty. Riddle is thrown into the steel steps. Riddle counters a suplex inside into a choke. Ohno gets the ropes and Riddle kicks his hand away. Ohno stops him by stomping on his bare feet. German suplex from Riddle. Ohno also bites them to break free of a hold. Riddle tries elbowing out of a LIger Bomb but gets hit with it for two. Moonsault by Ohno also gets two. Big boot and BIG BOY SENTON follows. He tries a second but Riddle catches him with a rear naked choke. Ohno rolls to the ropes. Ohno offers the fist bump while on his knees. Riddle greets him with a knee and hits a sleeper suplex. MMA elbows and Ohno taps.
Winner: Matt Riddle in 9:17 [**]
Tommaso Ciampa warms up in the back.
The Velveteen Dream arrives with two ladies on his arm.
They plug the Worlds Collide Tournament, while airs on the Network next Saturday.
NXT North American Championship: Ricochet [c] vs. Johnny Gargano
Wrist lock by Ricochet. Johnny counters with athleticism. Arm drag from Johnny into a crucifix for two. They continue to trade stuff until it’s standoff time. Ricochet fights out of a headlock. Shoulder black from Johnny, Ricochet kips up right into another one. They roll through more athletic stuff that is too fast to fully type out. Ricochet lands on his feet to end this exchange and stares down at a seated Johnny. He helps Johnny up and asks which Johnny we’re getting tonight. Johnny accepts the help, then hits a cheap shot. He fires off chops in the corner. Ricochet leap frogs over, rolls under, and hits a headscissors takeover. Dropkick sends Johnny outside and Ricochet fakes a dive. he hops over Johnny and delivers an Asai moonsault off the second turnbuckle. Back elbow from Johnny inside. He goes up top but Ricochet cuts him off. They jockey for position up there. Ricochet slips out and wants a rana, but Johnny slips under and drops Ricochet face first onto the turnbuckle. Dropkick to the back of the head for two. Ricochet comes back with a sweep but his moonsault is blocked by Johnny getting his feet up. He drives the back of Ricochet’s neck into his knee for two. Gargano applies a Zack Sabre Jr. like submission to wear down Ricochet. Johnny has a sunset flip blocks, slips out of a suplex, ends up on the apron and wants the slingshot spear. Ricochet avoids it by slamming Johnny’s face into the mat and adds a moonsault. However, he’s hurt from it so he can’t capitalize. He hits a lariat and flying headscissors before adding a corner uppercut. Tiger feint kick and springboard European uppercut. Series of deadlift suplex variations from Ricochet gets two. Johnny blocks another suplex. Ricochet adds a back elbow. He sprinboards in but misses. Johnny runs into a boot, Ricochet rolls forward for a rana but eats a powerbomb for two. He takes the kickout right into a crossface. Ricochet gets free and blocks the slingshot DDT. He dumps Johnny outside, who hits his ribs hard on the apron. Twisting con hilo by Ricochet. Inside, Ricochet wins a quick battle and hits a standing SSP, followed by a middle rope moonsault for two. He goes up top, where Johnny cuts him off. They battle up there and Johnny tries a super rana. Ricochet blocks and wants a powerbomb but Ricochet lands on his feet. He stumbles a bit but still does it. Johnny is stunned. Forearm by Ricochet. Enziguri from Johnny. They both miss. Johnny avoids a backflip kick, Ricochet avoids a superkick. They trade kicks. Ricochet’s backflip kick connects this time. Johnny catches the handspring elbow right into the Gargano Escape! Ricochet powers out and hits Johnny with an Exploder into the corner. Ricochet wants the 630 but Johnny rolls across the ring. Johnny escapes outside, so Ricochet sails over the ring post with a somersault. Springboard 450 splash gets two inside. Johnny gets his knees up on a Shooting Star Press and pins for two. Johnny hits a superkick that sends Ricochet to the outside. Johnny follows, Ricochet hoists him up and Johnny counters into a reverse rana. He sends Ricochet in and hits the slingshot DDT for a near fall. A frustrated Johnny goes outside and rips up the mat. Just like the Ciampa match. He goes for the Ciampa draping DDT but looks at the fans, wondering if its worth it. He decides against it. Johnny gets in the ring and is rolled up for two. Ricochet catches a superkick spins him around and hits a huge lariat. Ricochet misses a Phoenix Splash and eats a superkick. Johnny tries to spin into the Gargano Escape but Ricochet slams him down and puts Johnny in the Gargano Escape. On the apron, Johnny shoves Ricochet into the ring post. Johnny looks at the concrete again. He hits a Brainubster onto it! He rolls a battered Ricochet inside and ends him with a slingshot DDT.
Winner: Johnny Gargano in 24:33 [****1/2]
NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Bianca Belair
They lock up and reach a stalemate. Bianca takes her to the corner on the second and gives a clean break. She stops to talk smack and Shayna trips her up. Shayna goes to mock her back and gets tripped. Bianca claps back and they get into a shoving match. Bianca wins the next exchange and sends Shayna outside. Shayna rolls her in the ring by the corner and uses her braid to pull her shoulder first into the post. Bianca sells the arm to the point where she can’t pull herself into the ring. She has to roll instead. Shayna beats on her and begins twisting at the arm in vicious ways. Shayna jump stomps on it. The referee checks on Shayna. She stays in the fight and takes a spinning armbar. Shayna covers for two. Bianca ducks a clothesline and gets put in a sleeper but backs into the corner to get free. Shayna grabs the hair and fires off shots. Big knee from Shayna gets two. Shayna says Bianca is overrated, so she gets slapped. Bianca rolls away and Shayna misses a corner knee. Hip toss by Bianca. Shoulder blocks connect though her arm is still damaged. She uses athleticism to avoid Shayna and hits a Spear for two. Bianca stomps on her and tries a splash, but eats knees. Step up knee from Shayna for two. They trade blows and Shayna starst toying with her. Shayna uses the hair to whip Shayna and stop her momentum. The mark left on Shayna’s ribs is brutal looking. Shayna counters a double chicken wing and Bianca is thrown into the referee. Shayna grabs the hair but is pulled into a forearm. KOD connects but there’s no referee. That brings out Shafir and Duke. Bianca takes them out and slams Duke onto Shafir. Bianca goes after Shayna but is pulled into the Kirifuda Clutch. Bianca starts going out but powers up to her feet with Shayna on her back. She breaks the hold, turns Shayna around and nails a suplex. Bianca climbs up and has to kick Duke off the apron. 450 Splash from Shayna misses. Kirifuda Clutch is back on! Bianca struggles, but gets up again. The crowd erupts. However, she can’t get all the way up and drops to the floor again. She tries powering up once more and does so! “E-S-T” chants. She falls back from exhaustion and is out.
Winner: Shayna Baszler in 15:12 [***]
The Velveteen Dream is shown in the crowd with the two women he got out of the car with earlier.
NXT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa [c] vs. Aleister Black
Their lock up takes them outside. Inside, Black has the upper hand. Ciampa slams his arm down a few times, then has his Fairytale Ending countered into a back drop. Black with a rest hold. They trade forearms after the break. Ciampa heads outside and Black does his quebrada. Ciampa heads in, Black gets the advnatage and sits cross legged. Ciampa kicks him to shut him up. Black knocks him outside and hits a tope con hilo. Inside, Black with a knee and the quebrada for a near fall. They go outside and my feed messes up so I miss a spot or two. Ciampa catches a kick and slams Black’s foot into the steel steps. He throws him into the other ones. He adds a suplex that sends Black’s knee into the steps. Inside, Ciampa wrenches away on the knee. Modified Figure Four from Ciampa. He continues to work on the leg, wrapping it around the ring post a few times. Knee breaker onto the Spanish announce table. Black comes back with a kick and beats the countout. Ciampa dropkicks the knee to cut him off. He beats on the leg in the tree of woe. Black with a step up enziguri that sends both men to the outside. Back in, they trade blows. Black with an awesome kick and then some clotheslines. Kick to the chest gets two. Ciampa stops the Black Mass but has the Fairytale Ending countered. Black gets two on a pin. Series of kicks from Black and a German suplex gets two. Half crab by Ciampa, but Black counters into one of his own. His knee gives out and prevents him from holding on. Black wants a riangle moonsault but his knee bothers him. CIampa runs around, cuts him off and hits the Tower of London on the apron for two. Runnign knee gets two. Ciampa can’t capitalize on a jumping knee because he’s out o it. They trade blows in the middle of the ring. Black wins out but gets rolled up for two. Same for a second rollup. Black with a series of strikes and kicks, but Ciampa with a lariat. Brainbuster by Black gets two. Triangle moonsault by Black. Black slips on the water outside and eats the Fairytale Ending inside for two. Outside, Ciampa exposes the concrete like Gargano. He argues with the referee, opening the door for Black to hit a Meteroa off the apron. Black Mass connects but Aleister is too hurt to cover instantly. As he gets to Ciampa, the champ rolls onto his stomach. Ciampa pulls the ref in the way of a second Black Mass but it misses. Ciampa eats a knee but hits the draping DDT and Fairytale Ending for a near fall. A third Fairytale Ending. Ciampa holds on for a fourth but Aleister gets out with a kick. He misses the Black Miss because his knee gives way. Another Fairytale Ending and that’s it.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa in 26:31 [***3/4]
As Ciampa celebrates on the stage, Johnny Gargano comes out. He stands next to him and hoists up the North American Title. Ciampa raises his title next to him and they both smile.
