source: WWE
This week, Sasha’s selfishness gets her in trouble, Kalisto, Akira Tozawa, Buddy Murphy and TJP wow in a fatal four way match, and a new title and match is announced for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.
Mixed Match Challenge
source: WWE
Bobby Roode and Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks and Finn Balor
Winners: Becky Lynch and Bobby Roode
Highlights:
Roode does his “glorious” taunt and Balor Too Sweet’s his forehead
Becky and Sasha argue and then brawl due to Sasha’s attack on Bayley on Monday
Lynch gives Banks a superplex off the top rope
Finn goes for the Coup De Grace, but Sasha wants to be tagged in so he tags her in
Sasha gives Bobby Roode suicide dive
When Sasha gets back in the ring, Becky rolls her up for the victory
Kurt Angle comes out to announce that the winner of the finals next week will earn $100,000 for their charity (something we already knew)
Opinion:
I liked the way Sasha cost the match for her and Balor. While she wasn’t acting as an outright heel, she was selfish in showing off and attacking Bobby Roode, even though she and Becky were the legal competitors. I didn’t realize Charlotte and Asuka would meet just 5 days before WrestleMania, and the final match looks pretty exciting.
205 Live
source: WWE
Mark Andrews vs. Tony Nese
Winner: Mark Andrews
Highlights:
Nese traps Andrews’ midsection with his legs
Mark gives Tony a Tornado DDT and hits a moonsault from the top rope out of the ring
Nese sweeps the legs Andrews off the apron with his legs
Tony delivers hard chops and hits with a brutal style
Andrews hits Nese with a Stundog Millionaire (modified stunner) and a shooting star press for the win
After the win, Andrews tells Drake Maverick at ringside that he wants Gulak next week.
Backstage, Gulak proclaims that he is the best submission specialist in WWE
Opinion:
Like Gulak, Nese has shown a newer, more brutal side with his hits and kicks. Both men were quick and capitalized on advantages, and they both looked really good. After the match, we got a great interview from Drew Gulak, Andrews’ opponent next week. I’m looking forward to that match.
source: WWE
Drake Maverick interviews Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali
At the start, both men acknowledge how friendly they are, but when Cedric tells a “story” about how he’s going to win and make his family proud. Ali corrects him, saying he’s had several chances to write his story.
Ali says that he’s never gotten a chance, and he’s going to win at WrestleMania. When Alexander tells Mustafa that he will stomp his heart out for the Cruiserweight Championship, Ali tells him that he’s going to have to stop his heart out to win.
Opinion:
I wish more eyes were on this feud. Ali and Alexander, as best friends, are guaranteed to put on a clinic, and I hope people actually pay attention to this match at WrestleMania. Both men deserve the championship, and it’s too and that this rivalry wasn’t drawn out just a little bit longer.
source: WWE
Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa vs. TJP vs. Buddy Murphy
Winner: Buddy Murphy
Highlights:
TJP sits in the middle of the ring alone, and Buddy Murphy capitalizes and attacks him
TJP tries to convince Murphy to attack Kalisto and Tozawa together, but when Murphy ignores him, TJP attacks him
Kalisto and Tozawa work together to whip Murphy into the barricade, but their own rivalry gets in the way and they get caught in a double submission move by TJP
Akira takes out TJP with a suicide dive
Kalisto moonsaults off the middle of the top rope onto TJP and Tozawa
Murphy takes out all three superstars by hopping over the top rope
TJP captures Kalisto in a bow and arrow and Murphy tries to pin TJP, only to be interrupted by Tozawa jumping on top of all three men
Buddy hits a corkscrew plunger outside the ring on Tozawa and Kalisto
Murphy hits the Murphy’s Law for the three count
Opinion:
This was one of the best fatal four way matches I have seen in a long time. Going in, I didn’t have high hopes, as I haven’t been very satisfied by Kalisto, Tozawa, and TJP’s work lately. Before the match, TJP was seen backstage on his phone chilling out, while everyone else was exercising in preparation for the match. At the start of the match, TJP sat down in the ring, and it caused Buddy Murphy to capitalize and attack him.
In reviewing this match, one could think that TJP’s laziness completely counteracts his fantastic offense later on in the match. I think that WWE is building TJP up as, as much as I hate to say it, a “lazy millennial”. This stereotype is mostly expressed by older generations, saying that younger people are entitled and lazy, and while TJP is actually on the older end of the millennial generation, his character is seemingly way younger. His gimmick is all about video games and he looks like he’s 17, so it works, I guess. (Maybe he’s just lazy and there’s no age part in this at all, but it’s just a thought)
If TJP keeps this up in the next few weeks, I would expect someone to talk to him about how he’s full of potential, (which is true—he literally did a bunch of amazing moves in this match alone) and he’s wasting it and not working as hard as he could.
Another thing that surprised me was actual entertaining story between Akira Tozawa and Kalisto. These men (and their teams) have hated each other recently (who knows why), but it’s always been boring to me. Neither of them stood out in matches until today. They both showed their potential frequently, all while telling a story with their rivalry—do they let it get in the way of working together or possibly losing the match?
I was rooting for Buddy Murphy in this match, and I’m so glad he won. While his character isn’t really shown much on 205 Live (honestly, the “best kept secret” gimmick doesn’t even make sense on NXT), he’s insanely talented in the ring—especially for being an NXT Performance Center creation. I hope Murphy continues to be a key member of the 205 Live roster.
NXT
source: WWE
EC3 debuts at Full Sail
William Regal comes out to the ring, announcing that the NXT North American Championship will be introduced. EC3 comes out, bragging about himself and thanking Regal for awarding the title to him on his first day.
Regal responds by telling him that no one is given anything in NXT, and he will have to earn the championship in a 6-man ladder match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.
Highlights:
EC3 tells the crowd to chant again so he can “bask in the moment”
Carter says he can’t wait to represent North America, the greatest region in the world, as he puts a hand on Regal’s shoulder
EC3 calls himself a “money printing machine”
Opinion:
EC3 is great. Before this, all I had seen from him was him as Derrick Bateman in NXT (before NXT was actual wrestling) and maybe one promo from TNA. I had no clue that Carter oozed charisma. Somehow, he talked about how great he was and how he’s the “top 1% of the industry” while wearing a nice suit and STILL was very over with the crowd. Before watching this, I thought the winner of the match would be a toss up, but now I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t win the North American title at TakeOver.
source: WWE
Street Profits vs. Authors of Pain
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final match
Winners: Authors of Pain
Highlights:
Angelo Dawkins power bombs Rezar
Montez Ford offers Paul Ellering a sip from his cup, and Ellering smacks it away
Dawkins is distracted by Ford backing Ellering up the ramp and it double teamed by Akam and Rezar
Akam gets the pin and wins the match
Opinion:
I love the entertainment factor that both Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford bring to their team. It was pretty clear that they were gonna lose this match simply due to the dominance of the Authors of Pain, but seeing Ford offer a drink from a black solo cup to Paul Ellering was something I never thought I wanted to see, but something I’m so glad I did.
source: WWE
Lars Sullivan vs. Local competitor
Winner: Lars Sullivan
Highlights:
Sullivan sends the enhancement talent into the corners over and over
Lars goes to the top rope and delivers a diving headbutt and a powerslam, getting the win
After the match, Regal confirms that Sullivan will join Velveteen Dream, EC3, and Adam Cole, and Killian Dain in the ladder match
Opinion:
I know Sullivan won’t win the ladder match in New Orleans (just take a look at his competition), but it’s probable that they’re just putting him in it to get him more experience with higher level talent. Now, all he does is beat lower card people and look ugly and scary.
source: WWE
Andrade Almas attacks Aleister Black
Before a match starts, cameras cut to outside, where Almas is attacking Black. Almas dunks Black’s head into a cooler full of water, and then sends him head first into a door. Andrade takes him into the arena, where a poor Dakota Kai is in the ring, waiting for an opponent to start their match.
Kai escapes to the back right before the action goes into the ring. Almas uses a steel chair to hit Aleister in the back, then kicks him around and stands over him, holding his title.
source: WWE
sAnity vs. Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne
Winner: Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne
Highlights:
Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe double team Pete Dunne
Wolfe jumps off the top rope and meets a punch in the face by Dunne
Dunne and Strong double team Young and Dunne gets the pin to win the match
After the match, William Regal announces that the final participant in the ladder match is Ricochet
Opinion:
I’m surprised a last minute matchup in Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne have made it this far in the tournament. I’m happy that they and AOP have both gotten far (they’re both great teams), but unfortunately, this makes the winning spot the same exact thing as either the first tournament or the second.
In the first Dusty Classic, a team that wasn’t really a team won (Finn Balor and Samoa Joe), sort of negating the entire point go the TAG TEAM classic. Last year, Authors of Pain won, and it wouldn’t make sense for them to win both years in a row when we could’ve given the victory to someone who needs it more, like TM61 or sAnity.
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