Last week on NXT: The Breakout Tournament began with Angel Garza vs. Joaquin Wilde. The match was as good as it gets when the two talents are new to the brand and there is no story behind the match. Also, Garza tears his pants off mid match to reveal his legs and trunks and everyone gasped and applauded. Street Profits vs. Forgotten Sons never really happened and Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch want a title match. Keith Lee destroyed a guy whose gear is the strangest gear I have ever seen. Io Shirai turned heel on Candice LeRae after having regular NXT’s match of the year against Shayna Baszler.
Aliyah w/ Vanessa Borne vs. Mia Yim
- Aliyah and Vanessa have been talking crap about Yim for the past few weeks. So this match is the product of that trash talk. It must not have that much heat because it doesn’t even get the YouTube treatment. Even though Adam Cole making fun of Gargano made it to the YouTubes.
- Aliyah started the match confident but that shit faded fast.
- This match is mostly Mia beating the hell out of Aliyah, but Aliyah gets a few moves in.
- Mia is basically wrestling a blow up doll right now, she is turning coal into a diamond with this match and should be commended.
- Mia Yim wins after taking out Bourne Boujee
- Mia Yim calls out Shayna Baszler at the commentary table. She is coming to “whoop that ass”.
And I’m Like… Aaliyah has been in the Performance Center for almost five years now. She has grown since then, but still doesn’t feel authentic. Especially compared to Mia. I also have disdain for Aaliyah because she reminds me of my niece, and the less said about that the better.
William Regal updates us on Io and Candice LeRae but is interrupted by The Forgotten Sons. The Sons said “What as that?!? Street Profits can make a match now?” But, they didn’t? Regal said that the Sons had a match but Ryker blew it for them and put them at the bottom of the tag team totem pole. Regal makes Burch and Lorcan vs. Street Profits.
The Adam Cole BBC Tour continues
Kushida vs. Jeff Parker
- Let’s be real. If Kushida is undefeated after facing Drew Gulak and Kassius Ohno, you think he is gonna lose to Jeff Parker?
- Jeff looks bland from the neck down, but the one thing that makes him stand out is the weird headband. It’s a martial arts head band and hangs past his shoulders. I don’t know what else to say.
- Kushida is wrestling the crap out of Parker and over all having his way with Jeff.
- Parker got a strike or two in on Kushida, but that’s about it.
- The Hoverboard Lock has changed to the Sakuraba Lock
And I’m Like… It’s cool that Kushida named his old after UFC Hall of Famer Kazushi Sakuraba, but c’mon, Hoverboard Lock is so much better. Kushida is racking up wins until his next feud.
Tyler Breeze wants to feud with Undisputed Era because UE says they made NXT what it is, and Breeze said it was NX-Breeze first.
Isaiah Swerve Scott vs. Cameron Grimes
- Swerve gets a Picture in Picture video. “Swerve is confidence”. I miss “Ain’t Nobody” and his smudgy sunglasses. Everything else is the same though.
- Cameron Grimes has a very southern rock entrance music. AAW did a beautiful video on him and it doesn’t look like much else has changed. Feel bad that he has a southern accent, Vince doesn’t like that.
- This match starts off with some chain wrestling while commentary gives us background on each wrestler. It’s nice to do this for introductory purposes.
- This match is smooth as hell. No one has really done anything to insinuate that they are the heel in this match, Scott is showing a more menacing face, but that’s about it.
- Cameron steps up the aggression but straight up standing on Swerve’s face.
- This match is very rough, like the moves are smooth but every move done looks painful as hell, like Cameron hits a lariat and it sounds like a leg slap but it’s really Grimes arm hitting Swerve’s chest.
- Commentary is letting us know that Grimes is the heel. “He is the type to steal your wallet while helping you look for it.”
- These boys are hitting their greatest hits. Like Swerve’s leap over the top rope into an hand stand flip on the apron. The story seems to be each man trying their hardest to out do the other one, but they are both even in their wrestling. It’s a real showcase for both men.
- Grimes caught a mid air cross body by Swerve and turned it into a powerslam, it was impressive as hell. Then Grimes hit the running double stomp for the win.
And I’m Like… Definitely not as good as the first Breakout Match, but this was just some damn fine wrestling. Swerve doesn’t need the win because he has IT. Cameron has IT too, but needs this win more because he has zero character and is very bland in presentation off the bat.
Bianca Belair vs. Priscilla Zuniga
- It’s great that Diamante is on NXT, it’s not great that she is used as an enhancement talent.
- Priscilla starts the match off with a strike and that was enough to piss Belair off. The earrings are tossed on the ground. Belair does a Military Press, while chewing her gum and doing squats. This is nothing more than a glorified squash.
- Belair does a double powerbomb into a snake eyes. Follows that up with a KOD and that’s it.
And I’m Like… Holy shit. I wish Zuniga had more than one strike, but Bianca is showing us how much she rebounds from a loss. This Bianca is still confident but seems more focused than ever.
Matt Riddle gets a vignette showing off his MMA skills and talks about how much he loves wrestling.
Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Breeze
- Roderick comes out alone, but that doesn’t mean the Undisputed Era isn’t waiting in the wings to come and interfere.
- I love how often we get to see Breeze now that he is on NXT. I can only assume he still has his main roster money contract. If that’s the case, this has got to be the dream for many wrestlers. Travel way less, still get weekly tv time, have great matches in front of an appreciative crowd and still get the same amount of money. This must be heaven for people like Breeze.
- Roderick has an innate ability to wrestle matches, make it seem like he could either win or lose and both feel believable.
- Breeze was fucking around with Strong and pushed Roddy off the steps. So Roddy fired back with a backbreaker, instead of using his knee, he threw Breeze onto the steps. Followed that up with a backdrop on the guardrail.
- I love matches where there is one spot or moment that changes the entire trajectory of the match. Ending the first act with a huge bang. It reminds me of Bret Hart matches and Bret was my first wrestling love.
- Breeze is still fighting valiantly, but after every offensive manuever, Breeze goes back to selling his back. Luckily for Breeze, his finisher doesn’t involve putting pressure on his back.
- This match is a war. Strong is relentless but Breeze is a fighter. A great spot where Roderick is trying to stay in control and grabs Breeze’s foot as Tyler is on the ground. Tyler tries to kick Strong off but Roddy won’t let go. It’s a small battle that encapsulates the whole match.
- Undisputed Era comes out of course to run distraction. This ends in a loss for Breeze.
And I’m Like… Undisputed Era knows how to heel in NXT. Where the Forgotten Sons just DQ themselves and end the match abruptly, UE will interfere behind the refs back and cause your favorites to lose. If Breeze is planning on fighting the UE, he will need back up.
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