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Kevin’s WWE NXT Review 3.4.20

March 4, 2020 | Posted by Kevin Pantoja
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Kevin’s WWE NXT Review 3.4.20  

We get our usual opening video recapping last week.

Steel Cage Match: Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox

They trade blows at the start, both opening this aggressively. Tegan blocks the first attempt at a cage shot and hits a cross body off the second rope. Kai turns it around and chokes her with her boot. Tegan fires up with a series of running shots in the corner, capping it with the Cannon-Boar. However, Kai just launches her into the steel. Commercial time. During this time, Kai keeps control and picks up a few near falls. Returning, Tegan has leveled the playing field a bit and tosses Kai into the steel a few times. Oddly, Tegan tries to leave to win but is quickly stopped. Kairopracter hits for two. Tegan grabs the knee brace to stop Kai from leaving and rolls her up for two. A headbutt puts them both down. Tegan climbs and Dakota meets her. While standing on the top rope, Tegan Chokeslams her to the mat. Frozen by what she did, it allows Kai time to get up. Kai eats a running shot in the corner but comes back with a charging boot only for Tegan to respond with another Cannon-Boar for two. After climbing, Tegan sees that Gonzalez is ready for her to come down. Instead, Tegan leaps off the top with a cross body on Kai. Gonzalez blocks the door by sandwiching the referee between herself and the door. Kai goes to boot Tegan but misses and kicks the door into Gonzalez’s face. She turns around into a Shiniest Wizard for a fantastic near fall. Nox is stunned. Gonzalez is up and gets in the way, so Tegan takes her down. She climbs up and over but Kai catches up to her. She brings her back over a bit but Nox boots her back to the canvas. Nox sees Gonzalez waiting by the door. She climbs down as Gonzalez pulls Kai out. However, Tegan kicks the door into Dakota’s knee to crush it. Still, Gonzalez shoves the door on Tegan, holding her in between it and the cage wall. That gives Kai time to escape.

Winner: Dakota Kai in 16:09 [***3/4]

Finn Balor talks about making the first move in his mental chess matches recently. However, WALTER has forced his hand now. WALTER will not like his reaction. Finn says he’ll see him sooner than WALTER thinks.

A video package airs of Rhea Ripley visiting the location of WrestleMania. She walks around, talking about being in the first ever NXT Championship match in Mania history. She discusses how she came from wrestling in front of small crowds to this. She mentions how people compared her to Charlotte when she first showed up and that’s part of why she wants to beat her and remain different from her.

Number One Contender’s Qualifying Match: Chelsea Green vs. Shotzi Blackheart

The winner goes on to the ladder match at TakeOver: Tampa. Shotzi starts hot with a step up enziguri but takes a hanging Backstabber for two. A pump kick also gets two. Green weathers a short storm and hits the Unprettier to qualify.

Winner: Chelsea Green in 2:20 [*1/2]

A bunch of rapid-fire images flash across the screen as part of a vignette. Many believe it is for Killer Kross.

NXT North American Champion Keith Lee arrives to address the crowd. He discusses what happened with Damian Priest and Dominik Dijakovic last week. However, he is interrupted by Cameron Grimes, who beat Dijakovic last week. He brags about the win and how he did it faster than Lee did at TakeOver. Tons of heat for Grimes. He announces that Regal granted him a title shot next week. Lee is annoyed with him and shoves him out of the ring, saying he’ll be happy to give him an ass whopping next week.

Earlier today on YouTube, Austin Theory says he’s already the greatest in NXT. Isaiah Scott overhears him and laughs at this idea, challenging him to a match tonight. In the back, the Undisputed Era warm up ahead of their tag match.

Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan vs. The Undisputed Era

These two teams had a classic at TakeOver: Chicago a few years ago (****1/4). This is just a fight from the start, with hard hitting strikes and chops from everyone. Oney hits a double Blockbuster outside off the steel steps. Commercial break. Returning, Oney fires up with chops on Fish. He manages to make the tag and Burch comes in hot. He levels Fish outside and kicks Kyle inside. However, as he beats on Kyle, Fish takes him out. That puts Burch in trouble as the new face in peril. The Undisputed Era cut the ring in half and isolate Burch. Each time he gets close to tagging, he is stopped. He finds a way around it with a Sliced Bread type move. Tag to Oney who lights them up with running uppercuts. Half and Half suplex on Kyle and a running Blockbuster. With his opponents outside, Oney takes them out with a front flip dive. However, back inside, he gets cut down by the High/Low combo.

Winners: The Undisputed Era in 11:49 [***1/4]

Post-match, the Era cut a promo about their titles being with an undeserving team called the Loserweights. That brings out the Broserweights to the stage. Matt Riddle says they’re down to give the former champions a rematch. They’re suddenly jumped from behind by the Grizzled Young Vets. Zack Gibson says they don’t care about any stupid rematches. Gibson says it’s out with the old and in with the Grizzled Young Veterans.

A vignette runs to hype both Austin Theory and Isaiah Scott.

Austin Theory vs. Isaiah Scott

Theory quickly finds himself in trouble due to Scott’s speed. He ires off a series of strikes and kicks that overwhelm him. Commercial. Returning, Theory nails a rolling dropkick. Scott with a huge right hand and clothesline. The crowd is behind him. He adds a leaping corner elbow and another off the middle rope. Theory blocks Scott’s next move and trips him up but takes an up kick. Theory blocks a rana and powerbombs Scott into the corner. RP1 gets a near fall. They trade shots and Swerve catches a leaping Theory into an armbar. Theory fails to power out and Scott snaps back on the arm like his name is Pentagon Jr. Theory rakes the eyes and sweeps Scott to the mat. He hits the ATL with one arm and wins.

Winner: Austin Theory in 10:59 [***]

More random images.

We go to a sitdown interview that Mauro Ranallo conducted with Johnny Gargano at the Performance Center. He asks about what he did to Tommaso Ciampa. Johnny mentions that he was the only person to go to Mauro’s documentary premiere. He’s the heart of NXT. When a sneak attack is mentioned, Johnny gets angry. He says he hit Ciampa while looking him in the eyes and last week, he wore a coat that was hard to miss. Johnny shouts that Mauro doesn’t know what he’s been through or seen. When asked why, he gets in Mauro’s face, saying he knows why. He’s pissed that Mauro hasn’t reached out to him since Portland. Yet when Ciampa returns, he can shout “DADDY’S HOME!” Mauro walks off upset. Johnny tells the camera, addressing Ciampa, that he knows why. Next week, things come back to the PC for them.

A video package airs to hype the main event.

NEXT WEEK ~ NXT emanates from the Performance Center! Keith Lee defends the NA Title against Cameron Grimes! Broserweights defend the titles against Undisputed Era!

Steel Cage Match: Roderick Strong vs. Velveteen Dream

Strong is competing in jeans. They brawl as soon as he enters the cage. The intensity level stays high as Deam crashes face-first into the steel. Strong with a backbreaker. He shouts that Dream caused this as he delivers shots. Dream back body drops him into the cage. Marina Shafir runs out and slips a kendo stick into the cage for her husband heading into commercial. During the break, Dream whacks him a few times with the kendo stick. Returning, Dream applies a Boston Crab. Strong turns the tide and locks in the Strong Hold. Dream fights out and turns it into a pin for two. Dream superkicks him into the steel cage. Strong manages to take control and climbs but Dream stops him by exposing his ass. As Dream climbs out, Strong stops him and delivers an Olympic Slam off the top. Both men are down. Dream stops Strong from leaving through the door and hits the Dream Valley Driver. He adds a second and climbs up. He wants the Purple Rainmaker off the top but the Undisputed Era comes out. he gets down and grabs the kendo stick, stopping Fish. He knocks Kyle off the cage as well. Adam Cole gets in and is tossed across the ring. Strong is stopped on his way out of the door but Dream turns back to look at Cole. He then pureposely shoves Strong outside.

Winner: Roderick Strong in 13:00 [***1/4]

Dream locks the cage door and turns around with a smile at Adam Cole. Dream batters him and launches him into the side of the cage with the UE members climbing, knocking him them off. He hits Strong and Cole with the kendo stick. Dream catapults Cole into Strong, crotching him. DVD on Cole onto a chair. Dream picks up the NXT TItle and hoists it high before taunting Roddy with it. He then lays out Cole with it. Dream poses with the title atop the cage.

8.0
The final score: review Very Good
The 411
A step up this week. We got a handful of good matches and some really good segments to set us up for TakeOver: Tampa. Dream/Strong wasn't great but the twist on Dream going after Cole worked really well. Dakota/Tegan was great and every match other than Green/Blackheart was good.
legend

article topics :

WWE NXT Report, Kevin Pantoja