wrestling / TV Reports
Kevin’s WWE NXT Review 4.15.20
We start with a video package recapping last week’s events.
Fabian Aichner vs. Finn Balor
The action goes to the ground to start with neither man having the upper hand. Aichner uses his power to toss Finn aside but Balor comes back with strikes. He gets caught by Aichner’s impressive strength again but turns it into the Final Cut. It heads into commercial. Returning, Balor remains in control. A distraction from Marchel Barthel leads to an Aichner backbreaker. He starts tossing Balor around. Balor rallies and delivers a standing double stomp to the chest. Slingblade follows. Aichner rolls him up for two and then deadlifts him into a powerbomb. Barthel gets involved again. Aichner runs into the steel steps when he misses Finn, who then takes out Barthel with Slingblade and the John Woo dropkick. Inside, Aichner misses his double jump moonsault. John Woo dropkick and Coup de Grace follow. 1916 ends it.
Winner: Finn Balor in 11:46 [**3/4]
We get a recap of everything Raquel Gonzalez has done to Tegan Nox recently. They meet one on one tonight.
Charlotte Flair spoke in a pre-taped promo. She said she beat the past (like Trish), the present, and now the future. She made the other Horsewomen tap out and she left Ronda Rousey beaten at Survivor Series. She puts over the NXT women’s division as being the best, nothing Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, and Io Shirai specifically. Charlotte wants to give Mia Yim the first shot though, since Mia was her first ever opponent in NXT and now they’re in the same place. She plans on running through the division.
Aliyah vs. Xia Li
Aliyah took credit for Xia’s attack a few weeks ago. Li comes out aggressively while Aliyah uses underhanded tactics to gain control. Xia weathers the storm and wins with a spinning kick.
Winner: Xia Li in 3:11 [*1/2]
The NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament is hyped.
In the back, Matt Riddle talks to Pete Dunne on the phone. Apparently, Dunne is picking his partner and not telling him.
Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament B Block: Akira Tozawa [0-0] vs. Isaiah Scott [0-0]
Hard hitting and fast paced start. They fight to the apron and trade blows before a poor looking popup rana off the apron by Swerve sends us into break. Returning, Scott wears him down inside. Tozawa fights back with a senton off the apron that sends Scott into the guardrail. Tozawa adds a missile dropkick inside and then applies an octopus hold that he turns into a dragon sleeper. Swerve gets in some smooth offense including a German suplex. House Call connects and it only gets a near fall. Tozawa with a snap belly to belly into the turnbuckle and spin kick. He climbs up and nails the top rope senton to win.
Winner: Akira Tozawa in 11:33 [***1/4]
Tozawa says he will keep winning and be champion again.
A vignette runs to hype El Hijo del Fantasma, who debuts next week.
Raquel Gonzalez vs. Tegan Nox
Tegan is quickly in trouble thanks to Raquel’s size and strength. She is overpowered at every turn and thrown around. When Tegan starts making a comeback, Dakota gets involved but Tegan still survives. Shotzi Blackheart shows up and attacks Dakota. Raquel goes after her, allowing Tegan to roll her up and win.
Winner: Tegan Nox in 3:16 [1/2*]
A video package runs where Keith Lee talks about what he sacrificed to get into wrestling, as his family didn’t want him involved.
Dexter Lumis vs. Tehuti Miles
Other than a dropkick, Miles gets in nothing. Lumis hits a spinebuster and wins with the Anaconda Vice.
Winner: Dexter Lumis in 1:44 [NR]
There’s supposed to be an Adam Cole/Velveteen Dream face to face segment. However, Cole speaks from home, saying that he’s not there live. Nobody deserves a shot at his title.
Velveteen Dream comes to the stage to address Cole. He says that he is the last remaining champion in Undisputed Era and that dream is going to be over soon. Finn Balor appears behind Dream. He says that he doesn’t know or like him but when talking bout the best NXT Champion ever, he needs to be careful. Ignorant comments will get him a date with the Prince. As Finn leaves, Dream tells him to be a gentleman and pick him up next Wednesday night.
Backstage, Malcolm Bivens cuts a promo with his team behind him. He congratulates whoever wins the main event but says they’ll be the next champions.
NEXT WEEK ~ Jack Gallagher vs. El Hijo del Fantasma! Drake Maverick vs. Jake Atlas! Kushida vs. Tony Nese! Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Tegan Nox!
NXT Tag Team Championship: Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher [c] vs. Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong
You read that right. Pete Dunne selected Timothy Thatcher as Riddle’s partner. The champions hold serve heading into the first break. Returning, Thatcher and Roddy work the mat. Roddy gets to the rope and uses a cheap shot to turn the tide. Quick tags with Fish isolate Thatcher for a short while. Riddle comes in pretty hot, hitting his rolling gutwrench suplexes on Strong. Fish enters and puts Riddle on his heels. He and Strong use tandem strikes to wear him down in the corner. Oddly, Dexter Lumis is shown watching from afar. Strong comes close to winning with the Olympic Slam heading into another break. Returning, Riddle gets beaten down by the challengers. Eventually, Riddle gets free and makes the hot tag. Thatcher lays into Roddy, hits an enziguri and wants the Fujiwara armbar but Strong scatters to the ropes. Fish gets the tag and runs over Thatcher but only gets two. Strong gets tagged again and Thatcher fights both men off before applying the Fujiwara armbar and winning.
Winner: Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher in 22:09 [***1/4]
Backstage, Tommaso Ciampa says he agreed that this would be over after the match last week. He congratulates Johnny Gargano and since he’s a man of his owns, he admits Johnny is the better man. Before he can finish, he is attacked from behind in what looks like a German suplex. We don’t see who did it at first as the camera is knocked over. However, we see it’s Killer Kross at the end. A boot is also next to Ciampa’s head, seemingly belonging to a woman.