Alright, not quite live. I’m behind by about 12 hours. But I’m writing as I’m watching for the first time.
NXT North American Championship – Keith Lee (c) v. Dominik Dijiakovic
Every time these two massive athletes face off, they redefine what we think of as the limitations for big men in the business. Need proof? Lee threw down a running hurricarana in the opening seconds of the match and Dijiakovic unleashed a Spiral Tap later on the match.
Let me say that Portland is hot tonight. They have popped for every impact move, they are already chanting and it just makes you want to be a part of it.
The challenger actually getting in the more impressive offense so far. Lee kicks out of an avalanche Feast Your Eyes. After a long time spend outside in front of the announce tables, DD hits a somersault plancha from the top onto Lee, who was sitting in Carlos Cabrera’s chair that was between the two announce tables. The accuracy was impressive as hell. The back and forth continues and DD sells a huge power bomb like Masato Tanaka. Dijiakovic looks so strong as a challenger here.
OH MY GOD THE SPANISH FLY! That’s right, a 270+ pound guy and a 320+ pound guy just went to the top rope together and performed a Spanish Fly. The agility it takes to pull that off is beyond description.
Lee kicks out, Dijiakovic struggles to pick him up and we get the Big Bang Catastrophe for a three count.
Result: Lee pins Dijiakovic at 20:20 to retain the NXT North American Championship
Grade: 4/5
This match was an incredible display of the physical gifts of both men. Dijiakovic looked so strong in defeat, Lee looked like he could absorb anything on his way to the win. They have got to find something for Dijiakovic to do to keep him towards the top of the card. I will say this for a few nitpicks. The time they spent on the outside by the announce tables was way way too long with no involvement from the referee. It felt like they were on the outside for a good 2-3 minutes, which is fine, but the ref just stood in the ring like an idiot. I know its a small complaint, but it does kinda take me out of the match because my brain is going “the ref could have counted to like 600 by now”. All the ref needs to do in that case is jump down and implore them to get back into the ring. Dijiakovic’s dive was worth the dumb build thought. Also, the finish felt a little rushed. There was almost no time spent selling the Spanish Fly, which rightfully should be the highlight spot. Beyond that, that’s one of the best openers to a WWE PPV event I’ve seen in quite a while.
Street Fight: Dakota Kai v. Tegan Nox
We get a great build package for this rivalry, a head-to-head interview piece that ends with Kai promising another knee injury for Nox. A great summation for a well built and emotional angle.
Kai jumps Nox during her entrance and we are off to the races. They break down the barrier around the ring, which looks like the old school metal railing with a sign on it and Kai DDT’s Nox on the barrier. And we have a cricket bat and I’m pretty sure I can guarantee that’s the first time that’s been under a WWE ring.
Kai gets some more heat on Nox before taking a nasty looking German suplex through a trash can. Both women have thrown some stiff looking kicks. Nox with an avalanche chokeslam and a Molly-go-Round and a kickout by Kai. Dakota getting the resilience that we just saw from Keith Lee.
The script is being flipped mid-match as Nox is now trying to put her rival out, attacking the previously injured knee with a truck chain. The announce team putting over how far Nox has been pushed by her former best friend. A table has been introduced and Nox lays her out on the table and gives Kai a steel chair collar and now that’s too far for Mauro, Nigel and Beth. Not to worry, before any necks are broken… someone comes out and cuts off Nox. It’s Raquel Gonzalez…? She’s huge, whoever she is. Ah, a standout from the Performance Center. Okay then. Nox is going off the top through the table and OH MY GOD! There was no break in that table and it looked like Nox took all of that on the back of her head. Damn, that was scary looking, hoping she’s okay. Gonzales disappears, Kai with the pin and we can continue this thing for a few more months now.
Result: Kai pins Nox at 13:24
Grade: 3.5/5
The finish kind of ruins an otherwise great, intense brawl. There was a ton more action than I was able to describe live, so you’ll want to go back and watch this one. They did so much in and out of the ring, used the space so well. Debuting someone we really haven’t seen here isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. As a way to end a match, it’s kind of meh. However, as a way to keep this well-built angle going at least all the way to Wrestlemania.
Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano
Can I explain how great the build to this match has been? The new face of NXT takes on the man who built NXT. I will say this about tonight: this show has the feeling of a Wrestlemania card with all of the angles coming to a head, with all of the build, with all of the intensity of the in-ring action.
We open with a great series of chain wrestling, a real can you top this series. Balor getting Garagano in a headscissors while doing pushups. Shout out to Big Pappa Pump. Several minutes in and we finally have an advantage as Balor dishes out a number of forearms to Gargano’s back, but it didn’t last long as Johnny comes firing back. A very even match so far. Which may be ending as Gargano hits a spear on the apron and we’re on the floor. Gargano looks to be setting up Balor for another drop kick through the barrier and gets cut off by the Sling Blade. Huge bump on the outside. A knee strike and Balor taking over on the inside.
Gargano getting the advantage back after some rest holds and after a Divorce Court, it looks like Johnny will be targeting the arm of Balor. Never mind, Balor hitting a dragon screw while Gargano was draped over the top rope. Great psychology being displayed here, each man picking a body part and presumable being focusing their offense on that for the rest of the match.
Balor working over Gargano’s knee and… is that an Indian death lock? Well played. Enziguri and here comes Gargano’s comeback. Gargano going for a tope, Balor catches him, teases a 1916 on the floor but Johnny shoves him into the stairs, then hits a cannonball off the apron. Another great and brief set of spots on the outside.
So many counters back and forth, Balor catches Gargano trying a slingshot DDT, Balor tries to set up the 1916, Gargano slides out, hoises him up and dumps Balor into the 2nd turnbuckle face first. The intensity has just picked up to a new level.
We’ve had finishers blocked, finishers reversed, its been an incredible 2-3 minutes. Balor gets caught in the Gargano Escape but works his way out twice. More near falls and we go to the outside.
Gargano returns the favor with a dropkick to Balor against the railing. And it is finally time for the Spanish announce table to eat it. Balor with a front suplex to Gargano on the table and it looks like Johnny landed stomach first on one of the monitors. OH MY GOD! Balor climbs onto the English announce table, runs across the two of them to deliver the running drop kick.
Back in the ring, we get the Coup de Grace, but no cover, just a lot of posing. Oh, that’s why. A 1916 DDT and a three count.
Result: Balor pins Gargano at 27:22
Grade: 5/5
I’ll check after I finish the card to see if Meltzer agrees with me, but this is deserving of a 5-start rating IMHO. There was an intense story told in that match, incredible spots that allowed both guys to show off all of their talents, tremendous psychology. I’ll gush about this match for hours if you let me. It goes without saying that you need to go out of your way to see this encounter.
NXT Women’s Championship – Rhea Ripley (c) v. Bianca Belair
I kinda feel bad for Belair. She more than deserves a program at the top challenging for the NXT women’s title and we all know that Ripley/Charlotte is being set up for Mania. I will be shocked if the belt changes hands here, but Belair needs to be the title picture after Tampa Bay.
Great series of power-based chain wrestling to start us off here, before Ripley takes over with some solid strikes. Some vicious chops from the champ. But Belair counters a kick out of the corner and now starts to ground the champion. A standing moonsault and a near fall for the challenger.
A bit of a rough looking spot as Belair tries to suplex Ripley but it kind of rolls to the side and looked like a rough landing for Ripley on her shoulder. And in the time it took me to write that the champ has taken back over. Stiff kicks and an electric chair drop. Belair gets out of the standing cloverleaf and answers with a huge spinebuster and a near fall.
Belair sets the champ on the top rope and eats a strong slap and fired back with one of her own. A slap off ensues and is ended with a hair whip. Belair with a press slam off the top rope! Another series as Ripley goes for the Riptide and is countered by the KOD. The champ escape, boots Belair and then eats a spear and a double down.
Belair elevates Ripley with a huge back body drop over the top rope and that landing looked nasty. Air Belair (it just rolls off the tounge so well), a somersault plancha from the challenger. But once they both get to their feet, the champ takes over on the outside.
Back on the inside, we’ve got another battle on the top rope. They tease a superplex, Ripley flips over but Belair blocks the power bomb. She maneuvers over and lands the Riptide for the three count.
Result: Ripley pins Belair in 13:30 to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
Grade: Oh, hey there’s Charlotte from behind. Oh, and she’s officially accepted Ripley’s challenge for Mania. Who would have seen that coming? Despite it being blatantly obvious that was coming, it’s still cool to see Charlotte come back to NXT. Oh and she sends Bianca into the stairs for good measure. Hopefully, this will be a way to make the next crop of women’s stars for the main roster.
Grade: 3.5/5
Another solid match even though they could have probably gone another 5 minutes here. Both got to show off their strength and while we knew what the outcome was going to be, Belair proved she can hang in the big match situations. I’ll say it again, she needs to be the top contender again once this Ripley/Flair angle runs its course.
NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undesputed Era (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) (c) vs. The BroserWeights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle)
They’ve only existed a few weeks, but is there a more fun tag team in NXT than the BroserWeights? A singalong promo on Bobby Fish gets the UE to attack the BroserWeights in the aisle and we are off and running.
Riddle in the ring first for the challengers and exchanges strikes with Fish before just dead weight throwing him around the ring. Dunne and an takes over on both members of the UE, his run including an X-Plex to O’Reilly onto Fish on the apron. Fish eventually turns it around after catching Dunne trying to climb the ropes and kicking his leg out from underneath him.
The UE is gonna get some heat on Dunne. Fish cuts him off from a tag and levels him with a Samoan drop. Dunne tries a hope spot with an ankle lock on O’Reilly, but Fish re-enters the match with a senton atomico. Dunne again fights back but gets cut off with a dragon screw over the middle rope, second time we’ve seen that one tonight. And the UE will work on Dunne’s knee for a bit.
Another hope spot as Dunne causes the UE to crash into each other and there’s the hot tag. Riddle is all over the champs, a pair of Brotons, a Go 2 Sleep, a fisherman bomb and a German for a near fall. UE kicking out of a few tandem moves. The BroserWeights with a pair of moonsaults fro the same turnbuckle. Dunne hits Fish on the outside while O’Reilly gets the knees up on Riddle. O’Reilly and Riddle just firing back an fourth with a series of knees and elbows on each other. Strong Style FTW.
Some great tandem moves to cut off Riddle’s momentum, Riddle kicks out of a lungblower/German suplex combo. And here comes the Bruiserweight. He and O’Reilly trade through a series of submissions, we get a pair of ankle locks from the challengers and now the champs have a pair of submission moves on. Riddle knees O’Reilly in the face while Fish is hanging off his back with a sleeper.
Fish escapes a Doomsday Device attempt then suplexes Riddle off the top rope. O’Reilly comes in with a double knee drop to Riddle’s knee and goes right into a knee bar. Dunne able to cut him off with a stomp from the top to Fish’s hand.
Riddle mistimes a double team spot and spears Dunne, leading to a Kiss of the Dragon and DUNNE KICKS OUT!
Dunne fights both members of the UE, Riddle with the blind tag and they wipe out O’Reilly with a double knee. They get Fish with a Go 2 Sleep/Enziguri combo and we have NEW NXT Tag Team Champions!
Result: The BroserWeights defeat The Undisputed Era when Riddle pins Fish at 16:58 to win the NXT Tag Team Championships
Grade: 4/5
Man, was this a fast paced match. There were pretty much no stops in the action and it was an offensive explosion. I think it could be called then most indy-rific match on the card, but I’m here for it.
NXT Championship: Adam Cole (c) v. Tomasso Ciampa
Finally, the one-on-one showdown months in the making. At the same time, this rivalry cannot end here, no matter what happens. The work between Ciampa and the UE is way too good for this be the blow off.
A staredown and an exchange of headlocks starts the match off. Cole gets the challenger to chase him outside and tried to bait him in for an elbow drop by Ciampa hold back, lets him miss, then takes back over on Cole. Ciampa again blocks a few moves from Cole, catching a superkick then taking control back with a headlock. That’s been the story for the early part of this match: Ciampa cutting off all of Cole’s attempts to perform any offense. Even as Cole gets one up on him on the outside, Ciampa comes back and makes him eat stairs, ringpost and a knee against the railing.
The champ keeps eating punishment on the outside, most of it knees to the dome, then rolling into the ring and back out to try to create some space between the tow of them. Then Ciampa gets right back on him. Ciampa with a running leg lariat to a seated Cole in the timekeeper’s area!
Cole finally gets an offensive move in and it’s the holy shit move of the night so far, a wheelbarrow suplex into the edge of the announce table! There’s no way to take that that feels good. That table did not break and it looks like he got the edge right across his shoulders. And Ciampa kicks out! Now, it’s Cole’s time to get all of his heat back an work on the challenger’s neck.
Maybe not, Ciampa trying to set up an Air Raid Crash from the top. Cole reverses into a sunset bomb attempt with is blocked, but he kicks Ciama’s legs out from under him and nails a lungblower for a near fall.
Ciampa still fights off a few moves and also gets cut off. Cole goes for the Panama Sunrise but eats a pair of boots to the mush. Cole has not been able to sustain any kind of offense here as Ciampa with another flurry that ends with a blue thunder bomb and a near fall.
Cole might finally get to take back over after and Oshio-Garoshi and a near fall. We have a batlle on the top rope, Ciampa just holding a kicking Cole in position and an avalanche Air Raid Crash! And a kick out!
We are back to the outside, Cole goes for the power bomb through the Spanish announce table and its blocked and reversed! And that table did not break! Did they import the announce tables from Japan? Nope, because a second power bomb drives Cole through the wood.
Ciampa with a running knee back in the ring, Cole with a superkick out of desperation, but there’s Project Ciampa and a near fall!
Cole wins the strike battle in the ring and two big boots send the challenger to the outside. Cole running up for a tope but gets a dropkick to he chest for his troubles.
Cole with a piledriver from the apron over the ropes and a brainbuster to his knee and a near fall! What can Cole possibly do from here to get a pinfall?
Cole fires off a pair of superkicks, drops the knee pad and lands the Last Shot, but Ciampa rolls to the ropes. Cole tries a Panama Sunrise on the apron but Ciampa catches him and nails an Air Raid Crash! OH MY GOD!
Somehow Cole shrugs off an attempt at the Fairytale Ending on the outside with a back body drop, climbs on top of the announce table and nails a PANAMA SUNRISE ON THE FLOOR! But they roll in and Ciampa barely sells it! DDT on Cole from the ropes. Fairytale Ending and a 2 count! Seriously, what will it take to finish off this match?
Well,, its not a submission hold. After finally selling the effects of numerous finishers, they trade crossfaces. Both men get to the ropes before Roddy Strong makes an appearance. Fish and O’Reilly glomb Ciampa from behind while Strong has the ref’s attention, but Ciampa kicks out.
Cole misses the Last Shot and gets elevated over the top onto ReDragon for his troubles, then the challenger with the corkscrew plancha to take out all three members of the UE. Cole takes back over with 3 superkicks to the head and the Last Shot and Ciampa kicks out again. And this whole determination angle for Ciampa is starting to get a little long in the tooth now…
Strong introduces the belt into the mix and then grabs the ref’s attention. Not like he needed to, the ref has played the fool for most of the match. And on top of all of this, we get a ref bump and a low blow from Cole. He’s going for the Sunrise again but Ciampa takes him to dick kick city and deposits him with a Fairytale Ending but there’s no ref.
Johnny Gargano is here to rip the NXT belt away from Ciampa and blast him inthe face with it and this is what finally puts down Ciampa for the three count.
Result: Cole pins Ciampa at 33:23 to retain the NXT Championship
Grade: 3.5/5
I will probably take some heat for this one, but they drew out the story on this one for about 8-10 minutes too long. You can really only keep kicking out of every finisher your opponent has so many times before it gets ridiculous and it got ridiculous. I mean, if he was able to basically pop up after getting dropped on the top of his head on the floor why would a mere belt shot put him down? Cole didn’t look that great in victory and while that can be done very well, and they’ve done it in the past for him, he did not come out looking the best here. Sure, you can make the case that they told the story that Cole cannot beat Ciampa and it took the entire UE and a heel turn by Johnny Gargano to finally put him down. Like I said, it started to wear thin on me after the 20th time a match-ended move only resulted in a near fall. I’m sure that sounds like more of an old man yelling at clouds approach, but that’s where I was at. It was still a highly entertaining match with a great story being told, even if they may have added a few too many chapters to the book.
Overall Grade: 4.25/5
Another tremendous TakeOver with a ton of action, well built and executed angles and the right amount of build toward Tampa. Can’t wait to see the fallout on Wednesday and who if anyone shows up tonight on Raw.
The Finisher 