wrestling / TV Reports

Kevin’s WWE NXT Review 1.15.20

January 15, 2020 | Posted by Kevin Pantoja
Bianca Belair NXT Image Credit: WWE
8.5
The 411 Rating
Community Grade
12345678910
Your Grade
Loading...
Kevin’s WWE NXT Review 1.15.20  

We open with a graphic remembering Rocky Johnson who passed away today.

A video package recapped last week, including the Undisputed Era’s invasion of TakeOver: Blackpool II.

Keith Lee walks down to the ring to start the show. He talks about facing Roderick Strong next week. He puts over how great the Undisputed Era have been and said the end of their 2019 was probably better than anyone’s…except him. He is limitless. That brings out the Undisputed Era to call him a dummy and attack. Though down 4-on-1, Lee fights them off until Strong uses a chair to chop block him. Lee takes the Last Shot and they hold him down as Strong PILLMANIZES his ankle. A late arriving Tommaso Ciampa sends the team packing.

Earlier today, Tegan Nox spoke outside. She returns tonight for the battle royal. Candice LeRae runs up and hugs her. Elsewhere, Mia Yim and Io Shirai prepare for the match.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: The Broserweights (Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne) vs. Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews

This gets off to a quick start that leads to a standoff heading into commercial. During the break, Dunne and Riddle isolate Flash and work on his arm. Returning, they continue to cut off the tag. Dunne hits a massive Explex and Riddle follows with the Broton. Andrews gets the hot tag and goes nuts. He uses his quickness to take over Dunne and Riddle with impressive offense. He sends them packing and nails stereos somersault dives with Flash. Inside, they get two on an assisted 450 splash. Dunne backflips over Andrews, hits an enziguri and a release German suplex. Explex into a Riddle powerbomb into a combo kick from the Broserweights. Flash breaks up the pin. They continue to trade the upper hand heading into another break. We return to a huge swanton to the outside by Webster to take out both opponents. Inside, Riddle takes a pump knee/poision rana combo but Dunne breaks up the pin. Wild tornado DDT by Andrews on Dunne outside. Riddle hits both men with spears inside but gets pulled into an inside cradle by Flash for two. He hits a weak Pele before tagging Dunne. Combo Bro to Sleep/enziguri gets two. Dunne and Ansdrews become the legal men. Dunne stops his slide with a kick to the back. Dunne blocks a DDT counter but has the Explex turned into Stundog Millionaire. Riddle is taken out but then catches Flash’s dive into a Bro Derek on the outside. Inside, Dunne is up on an SSP attempt and catches Andrews with a forearm. Bitter End onto Riddle’s Knee caps it off.

Winners: The Broserweights in 18:20 [****]

Cathy Kelley waits outside of the trainer’s room for word on Keith Lee’s condition.

Tommaso Ciampa is out for some promo time. He mentions Velveteen Dream, Imperium, and Keith Lee. They’re the UE’s hit list. His hit list is simple. Adam Cole. No more waiting or distractions. He needs Goldie. That brings out the Undisputed Era and Ciampa fights them off as best as he can. Johnny Gargano’s music hits as Ciampa’s former partner is out to save him. He sends them packing and Ciampa plants Kyle O’Reilly with a DDT. They hit Bobby Fish with Meeting in the Middle to loud “DIY” chants to end the segment.

Trent Seven tweeted out a challenge for Moustache Mountain to face #DIY. Wow.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Alex Shelley and Kushida vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

I can’t believe I’m about to watch the Time Splitters again. Shelley starts against Gibson to chants. They run a cool spot where Gibson is sent into the corner only for Drake to take the blow for him. Shelley wails on Drake and tags Kushida for some tandem offense capped by dual tope suicidas. More rapid fire tandem offense from the Time Splitters. They hit a double running suplex on Gibson for two. Commercial time. Returning, Shelley is playing the face in peril as GYV cut the ring in half. Kushida gets the hot tag and starts in with his signature stuff, including the handspring elbow. He works an armbar on Drake who gets to the ropes. Gibson gets tagged and hits a neckbreaker/superkick combo with Drake. Shelley returns and they bust out their awesome combo that ends with a Kushida dropkick. Seek it out if you haven’t seen it before. Gibson cuts off their finisher by sending Kushida to the outside. Shelley eats Ticket to Mayhem and that’s all.

Winners: Grizzled Young Veterans in 11:53 [***1/4]

Post-match, Grizzled Young Vets decline a handshake. Gibson gets on the microphone to brag about derailing this reunion tour. He says they were a great team of the past but they’ll be the 2020 Dusty Classic winners.

Earlier today, Robert Stone announced that he pulled Chelsea Green from the battle royal tonight because she deserves better. He calls her the hottest former free agent and she confirms that he does mean hottest.

A video package runs of Finn Balor talking about Ilja Dragunov. He praises him but says that he doesn’t belong in the ring with him.

Angel Garza joins commentary.

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Number One Contender’s Match: Isaiah Scott vs. Lio Rush vs. Tyler Breeze

The winner moves on to Worlds Collide for a title shot. The other participants then will be Garza and two NXT UK representatives. Rush gets targeted to start, probably due to his size. All three men hit an awkward and contrived set of moves. Things get good when Rush and Scott have an athletic staredown outside. Rush hits him with a rana and Breeze kicks him down before a commercial. Returning, we get a sweet spot where Breeze German suplexes Scott into the ring as he suplexes Rush in as well. A series of dives is capped by Scott but he runs into a Spanish Fly inside for two. Breeze is taken out by a right hand and gets dumped outside. He avoids a wrecking ball dropkick but Rush bounces and hits a successflu one. he adds a poison rana on Scott, tope suicida on Breeze, and Final Hour on Scott. However, Breeze breaks up the pin. The three go into a series of strikes and kicks. Lio wins out and nails the Final Hour. scott tries to dump him out and steal it but Rush bounces off the ropes into the Come up Stunner. Scott returns to the action, takes out Rush, and hits Breeze with the JML Driver to win.

Winner: Isaiah Scott in 13:19 [***1/2]

In the back, Rhea Ripley is interviewed about the battle royal and who she hopes wins. She says she’ll go through Toni Storm at Worlds Collide and she’ll do the same to whoever wins the main event.

Outside, Johnny Gargano is interviewed about being in the same ring with Ciampa for the first time since February. Ciampa comes up to him to thank him. Johnny mentions what Moustache Mountain said. They agree to team up for old time’s sake. The Undisputed Era come over shouting to fight. KeitH lee appears from out of nowhere and POUNCES someone through bushes. He throws security guards all over the place. He shouts that Strong’s title reign ends next week.

Also next week, the two Dusty Tag Classic semi-finals air.

#DIY vs. Moustache Mountain booked for Worlds Coolide.

NXT Women’s Championship Number One Contender’s Battle Royal

Participants include Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, Bianca Belair, Kacy Catanzaro (!), Mercedes Martinez (!), Shotzi Blackheart, Dakota Kai, Vanessa Borne, Kayden Carter, Santana Garrett, Io Shiai, Tegan Nox, and Xia Li. Some entrants may have been included during the break. I got those names off of televised entrances and the graphic. As a surprise, Shayna Baszler gets a pop entering as the final entrant. The usual start here as everyone clubs each other and tries for weak eliminations. I see Deonna Purrazzo, Catalina, and MJ Jenkins. Jenkins is the first elimination as Shayna gets rid of her. Jessi Kamea is also in this. Bianca throws her out Glam Slam style. Shayna dumps out Catalina. Kacy shows off her athleticism to avoid elimination before Shayna gets rid of Kayden Carter. Commercial time though we get PIP treatment. Shayna throws out Garrett as we return. I don’t believe any eliminations happened during the break other than Indi Hartwell. Borne goes out followed by Purrazzo. The latter pulls Blackheart under the bottom rope and pump kicks her. Io flapjacks Xia. The Team Shayna War Games members jump her but she kicks her way out of it. Shayna tosses her out from behind though. Kacy battles Io on the apron. Kacy tries to handstand on the top rope back in but Io kicks the hands and then boots her out. Candice escapes a Bianca press slam but is sent to the apron and run into the post to get eliminated. Martinez gets rid of Mia Yim. Martinez and Shayna have a faceoff in the middle of the ring as Bianca, Tegan, and Io are down. They trade shots and Martinez wins out. However, Shayna traps her in the Kirifuda Clutch. Martinez slips out and sends Shayna to the ropes. As she tries to get her over, Shayna hangs on and pulls Martinez to the floor. Final Four: Io, Bianca, Shaya, Tegan. Crowd badly wants Io. They all go after Tegan, who fits them off with kicks a cross body. She hits everything moving. She chokeslams Io onto Shayna to “Lady Kane” chants. Bianca accidentally spears Shayna. Tegan has Shayna over but Bianca interrupts. Shining Wizard on Bianca. Io sends Tegan to the apron but eats a forearm. Tegan goes up but Dakota Kai comes out and pulls her off the top and eliminates her. Dakota then throws the knee brace at her and walks off. Shayna starts in on both Bianca and Io with strikes and knees. Shana uses the Kirifuda Clutch to put Io on the apron. Shotzi Blackheart, who hasn’t been eliminated, returns to eliminate Shayna. Io slips back in to survive. Huge moment for Shotzi. Bianca sneaks in and throws her over. Io and Bianca wail on each other. Bianca wants a powerbomb over the top but Io fights it off. She trips a charging Bianca and hits the Tiger Feint Kick. Io climbs up and has her cross body caught into a fallaway slam. She wants the Glam Slam elimination but is rolled into the turnbuckle. They fight to the top and Bianca blocks a super rana. She nearly alley oops her over and out but Io blocks. She gets down and kicks Bianca to the apron. Io is low bridges and both end up on the apron. Bianca stomps her and lifts her for the KOD. Io slips out and wants a German off the apron. Bianca holds the ropes and elbows free. Bianca takes an uppercut and slides back in but Io steps on her hair. Bianca trips her using it and Io lands on the apron. They’re both back in. They trade shots and Io nails a dropkick. Bianca with a spear. KOD is countered and Io has the hair. German suplex connects. Their next exchange sees Bianca KOD Io to the floor.

Winner: Bianca Belair in 22:50 [***1/4]

8.5
The final score: review Very Good
The 411
A hell of an episode this week. The segments all came off well and every match was entertaining. The first tag ruled, the second one was damn good, the triple threat delivered, and the battle royal was a lot of fun. I'm thinking Rhea retains over Toni and Biance before facing Io during Mania weekend.
legend

article topics :

WWE NXT, Kevin Pantoja