Kevin’s WWE NXT Review 2.12.20

We open with a recap of last week.

Roderick Strong storms to the ring with a purpose. He’s alone and says this isn’t about the group or the North American Title. It’s about Velveteen Dream. He feels disrespected that Dream put his wife and son’s faces on his tights. Strong demands an apology. Instead, he gets Bronson Reed. He says he has a problem with Roddy too and they’re gonna fight now.

Bronson Reed vs. Roderick Strong

Reed hits the ring and they immediately brawl. Strong lights him up with chops. Reed returns the favor with some clubbing blows. Reed wears him down a bit but just eats a huge chop and responds with a forearm. They fight into a commercial break following a stalling vertical suplex and shoulder block off the apron by Reed. Returning, Reed remains in control. He gets two on a vicious King Kong Lariat. They battle up top where Strong delivers a huge superplex for a near fall. After going outside, the start of Dream’s theme hits. The distraction allows Reed to hit a dive onto Strong. Reed sends him in and comes off the top but Strong ends him with a jumping knee.

Winner: Roderick Strong in 14:06 [***1/4\

On the tron, we see a video of Dream. He wears a jakcet with his face on the back and his tights say, “CALL ME UP, MARINA.” Dream talks about how Strong tried to end his career. What if someone took something from Strong that mattered to him? He doesn’t have the NA Title anymore but he has a family. Dream says that if something happens to Strong, someone, somewhere could fulfill Marina’s dreams. He ends by showing off Troy and Marina’s faces on his tights.

A video package runs of the Broserweights. They go on a road trip to Portland with the Dusty Cup sticking out of their convertible. When Pete Dunne drives, Matt Riddle tells him that he has to drive on the correct side of the road. The cops pull them over and Riddle says he’ll do the talking. Quick cut to their car getting towed. They need to figure out something else to get to Portland.

Cathy Kelley interviews Angel Garza about facing Lio Rush tonight. Garza reminds us that he didn’t lose his title. He beat Lio before and he’ll do it again on his way to Jordan Devlin. Lio interrupts to say that he’s not the same guy who lost the title. He’s hungrier, faster, and stronger than ever.

Candice LeRae vs. Dakota Kai

Kai misses a boot out of the gate and takes a Codebreaker. She responds with a running corner boot. Candice hits an enziguri and then adds a tope suicida to the outside. She adds a second and a missile dropkick on the inside. Dakota rallies and gets aggressive. They struggle for position on a superplex that Kai wants to take outside. However, nothing comes of it. Kai slams Candice’s arm into the ring post heading into commercial. As we come back, Cnadice is on the offensive and hits the avalanche swinging beckbreaker. However, she misses the quebrada. She blocks Kai’s finisher, gets swept, and counters a kick into a high angle German suplex. Gargano Escape applied. Kai keeps trying to get close to the ropes but Candice rolls away. She tries it again but Kai counters it into a rollup to win.

Winner: Dakota Kai in 9:31 [***1/4]

A frustrated Candice goes after Dakota after the match. Kai goads her into a shot with the ring bell. Before she can do more damage, Tegan Nox arrives and knocks her back. Kai looks scared. They brawl until security pulls them apart. Tegan gets free and attacks again before it is broken up again.

LAST SUNDAY ~ Johnny Gargano and Cameron Grimes got into an altercation, setting up a match for tonight.

Cameron Grimes vs. Johnny Gargano

Johnny takes this to the mat early, wrapping up Grimes’ legs. They trade holds and jockey for position the mat until Grimes delivers a well-placed kitchen sink. Johnny comes back with a rana and dropkick. He clotheslines Grimes outside, avoids some shots and hits a superkick. before nailing a somersault off the apron. Grimes blocks the slingshot DDT on the way back in and sends him flying. Commercial time. Returning, Grimes gets two on a sweet bridging German suplex. Johnny with a kick to the head and a clothesline that turns Grimes inside out. Slingshot Spear gets two. Grimes gets the same after winning a series of reversals and planting him with a huge uranage style slam. Collison Course also gets Grimes a near fall. They trade kicks and Johnny counters him into a tornado DDT. He eats a huge kick and slides under the double stomp. Johnny pulls him into the Gargano Escape and wins.

Winner: Johnny Gargano in 13:24 [***1/2]

Backstage, Adam Cole tells Roderick Strong not to worry about Dream because they’ll take care of him. Tonight, Cole will teach Kushida a lesson in the main event. He’s tired of hearing about Tommaso Ciampa never losing the title and promises to do anything to retain.

More from Riddle and Dunne. They sit on one of those swan love boat gimmicks, relaxing and thinking about a way to get to Portland. Matt figures it out. To be continued.

We hear from the Robert Stone Brand. He says Kayden Carter got lucky last week and they’ll have a rematch next week. It’ll be the relaunch of the brand.

Also next week, Roderick Strong takes on Velveteen Dream.

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Number One Contender’s Match: Angel Garza vs. Lio Rush

As soon as the bell rings, Garza takes off the pants. He knows what the people want. They began a ridiculously fast exchange and Garza scores with a dropkick. Garza is aggressive, fighting to the outside and draping Rush over the guardrail before hitting a kick. Commercial break. Returning, Lio has rallied and hits a dive to the outside. A spinning kick connects for two. They start trading some loud kicks. Rush tries the Come Up but Garza hits him with knees. He delivers a sweet spin out facebuster bomb of sorts for two. They fight to the top and Rush hits an avalanche crusher but Garza rolls outside to avoid a pin. Rush hits the Final Hour to the outside but Garza gets the knees up inside for two. He adds a superkick and dead lifts Lio fr the Wing Clipper. However, Rush counters into an inside cradle to win.

Winner: Lio Rush in 10:21 [***1/4]

Jordan Devlin comes out and congratulates Lio Rush. He tells him that he gets to be the next stop on his Cruiserweight Title tour. Next week, he’ll show Lio that you never bet against an ace.

Keith Lee will be on WWE Backstage next Tuesday.

A video package, narrated by Mark Henry, airs to hype Keith Lee vs. Dominik Dijakovic and how it is revolutionizing the battle of big men.

Bianca Belair vs. Santana Garrett

Belair charges in with a spear at the bell and then double chicken wing slams her into the corner. KOD added and Bianca ends this quickly.

Winner: Bianca Belair in 0:42 [NR]

Bianca cuts a promo on Rhea Ripley going to Raw and acting like she doesn’t exist. She tells Rhea to keep playing with her because she’ll walk out as the champion. Rhea arrives to confront her. She says she’s not overlooking her. She’s looking right at her and will go through her. Bianca swings, Rhea fights her off but ends up getting planted with the KOD.

The Broserweights are back again. They got a private jet. Riddle says he knows a guy. They load the trophy onto the plane and then Riddle shoves Dunne into the luggage compartment. He hops in with him and it turns out that the plane belongs to Triple H.

Backstage, Tommaso Ciampa sits in a Full Sail class watching the clip of him giving away the NXT Title in that very room a year ago. Back then, he was concerned that he might’ve given up his biggest opportunity. In four days, he gets his shot at the title he never lost. What if Cole wins and goes on to be the longest reigning champion in NXT? But what if there’s a guy who wants it more and has been through so much more? He could go into Mania weekend as champion, the way it was supposed to be last year. A man is most dangerous when he has nothing to lose and Cole will find out how true that is.

Non-Title Match: NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. Kushida

This fight quickly heads outside where Cole throws Kushida into the steel steps. Kushida stops an outside Panama Sunrise attempt by catching him in an armbar. Kushida uses the handspring kick to knock Cole outside but misses a baseball slide and takes a superkick heading into commercial. Returning, Kushida hits things like a handspring dropkick and he applies the armbar inside but Cole gets to the ropes quickly. The two begin trading blows in the middle o the ring. Kushida with kicks to the arm and Cole with forearm strikes. Cole stops the Fastball Punch with a superkick but then takes it anyway. Back to back knee Brainbusters get two for Cole. Kushida has Panama Sunrise scouted, finding a way to counter it into the Hoverboard Lock. Kushida rolls him to the middle of the ring and drives his knees into Cole’s head. Cole gets out but nearly loses to a rollup. Cole comes back and gets a near fall before securing the win with the Last Shot.

Winner: Adam Cole in 12:49 [***]

His celebration is cut short by the arrival of Tommaso Ciampa. The two have a staredown. Ciampa says he takes his life back on Sunday and Cole says it’ll be over his dead body.

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

A strong episode from start to finish. Every match got at least ***, the squash match worked, the Broserweights stuff was fun, and we got a handful of good promos and video packages.