Last week on NXT: Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir lost their tag bout against Dakota Kai and Io Shirai in a match that only took place to advance the feud. Dijakovic had us feast our eyes on his victory. Heavy Machinery picked up the win in what could be one of their last NXT performances. Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano had a hell of a cage match ending when Ciampa came out and joined Gargano in hitting the D.I.Y. finisher to Black.
Cold Open
Mr. Narrator says “Tis the night for Championship matches” and Heavy Machinery is the first team advertised! So much for me saying last week was their last episode.
Number One Contender Match
Io Shirai vs. Mia Yim vs. Bianca Bel Air vs. Lacey Evans
- Shirai’s music makes me pine for Dakota Kai’s music.
- Lacey Evans is one of the only characters where you get everything she is about just from her entrance.
- Mia Yim has one of the most bad ass entrances. With the trip-hop music and her menacing walk with the bandanna over her face. I hope she gets to keep her opening siren since Dean Ambrose uses one now.
- Bianca Belair is still the star. Girl has all the talent and all the swagger. The crowd is loving her theme song and everyone is ready for NXT’s fastest rising star to take her throne as the top superstar on NXT.
- As Lacey leaves the ring so the other women can fight each other, Io and Mia team up against Bianca. When Mia dove out of the ring to take Belair down, that’s where Lacey took advantage.
- That didn’t last long though because Mia and Io kept their team strong and took out both of their opponents.
- This match is hitting a lot of beats rather quickly. Establishing each woman and their motivations. Having miscommunication between Mia and Shirai to take the match to the next level. Not a moment is wasted in this bout.
- Props to Lacey thinking she can gain a pinfall after a snapmare. This must be the end of the NXT taping because this match is hot but the crowd isn’t reacting much.
- Lacey and Bianca were both dominating separately and began arguing over whose match this is. “THIS IS MINE!” says Bianca. All possible alliances have now blown up and this is all out war.
- Huge superkicks and missile dropkicks ending in a Bianca spear that really woke the crowd up.
- Mia is really playing the veteran role in this match. While Shirai was in a nearfall with Bianca, Mia crawled over to tell Lacey to break the pin up. The sequence ended with Lacey hitting the Woman’s Right on Mia and Bianca broke up the pinfall with her hair whip.
- Bianca throws Io over the top rope onto Mia and then takes out Lacey Evans with the K.O.D. to the delight of myself and the crowd.
And I’m Like… That was a fun match with the right winner. Bianca’s music slaps so hard. With the crowd cheering for her and the energy she exudes in victory makes for a hell of a moment. The future of the woman’s division is bright as fu*k.
Mitch Taverna vs. Jaxson Ryker
- Mitch has like a mid 2000’s butt rock jam.
- I still have no idea what a Forgotten Son even is or why I should are about them. Jaxson makes those faces I make when I really have to poop but am so far from a toilet. Like when your body gets real hot and you clench your jaw and look super serious.
- I don’t know if NXT screwed up or it’s my feed but there is no commentary for this match.
- Like, the no commentary is really jarring. I kind of like it, you can hear The Forgotten Sons screaming “Never Forget!”. You can hear the grunts from the wrestlers emphasizing the struggle. The matches story is up to you to perceive and only the wrestlers to tell. After Ryker hits his finish the crowd seems pretty happy but shut up rather quickly.
And I’m Like… This no commentary business is unsettling. I wonder how long it’s going to happen on this show. The match was just Jaxson Ryker angrily winning and not much else.
Velveteen Dream has a vignette about how he is 23 and has all this talent. That is spliced with commentary putting him over during a highlight reel. I hate that WWE doesn’t have this on their YouTube because it’s tremendous. Dream even whispers the year at us while talking about how great The Dream is. This might be the most fun I’ve had watching NXT in a while. Just this Dream promo.
Ciampa is backstage with ‘Goldie’ talking about how Gargano has been listening to Tommaso this entire time. Ciampa suggests that Johnny gets an opportunity at the North American title. Ciampa is keeping Johnny away from having an NXT championship match by pitching a Takeover of NXT. Ciampa pitches Ciampa and Gargano holding up the NXT and North American championships respectively.
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Undisputed ERA (c) vs. Heavy Machinery
- I really hope Heavy Machinery is as fun on the main roster as they are on NXT. Otis is the definite star of the team.
- Kyle O’Reilly’s air guitar on the championship belt got a pop. Simply fantastic.
- For the first couple of minutes Heavy Machinery are having their way with Undisputed Era.
- Roderick Strong ended up grabbing Tucker Knight on the apron and went for an apron backbreaker but missed the apron completely and they both landed on the concrete. It was made even more intense by Nigel saying “OW! OW! OW!”.
- I just noticed that the commentary is back. Which brings the question. Why was there no commentary on the Jaxson Ryker match?
- Tucker is getting picked apart by Kyle and Strong. They are like the hyaena’s on Lion King. Except in Undisputed Era, there is no Scar. All hyaena.
- Not only is Tucker’s back being worked over but they are also working on his knee. Knight was powering out and dragging Roderick across the ring to get he tag but O’Reilly legit pulled Roderick back to their corner.
- Tucker finally got the hot tag to Otis Dozovic who LIT UNDISPUTED ERA THE HELL UP!
- The match broke down pretty quickly after that with Machinery getting a near fall with the Hoss Toss.
- Tucker ends up doing a moonsault and missing. This match is low-key bonkers.
- Otis tags in and tries to the top rope. He can’t fight off both members of Undisputed Era and Otis ends up in a tower of doom spot. Kyle powerbombed Roderick who was suplexing Doz.
- Strong and O’Reilly laid in about nine or ten strikes to Dozovic’s head and only got a two count.
- Then they hit Total Elimination and won the match. Undisputed Era retains the titles.
And I’m Like… Heavy Machinery can GO. That was a hell of a match, memorable spots, clean as a whistle. Really great job by all involved. It’s a shame that we won’t see more of this feud. I really hope it works out for Heavy Machinery on the main roster. They will be missed in NXT. I’m excited for the future of NXT and what 2019 will bring! This is the best wrestling show going and never ceases to amaze me.
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