By John Moore, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)
NXT TV Live Review
Taped June 13, 2019 in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University
Streamed July 31, 2019 on WWE Network
Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Beth Phoenix were on commentary. Tyler Breeze made his entrance to start the show. Did they always bill Tyler “… from his seasonal residence” while he was on the main roster? Brings back memories. His opponent is Jaxson Ryker…
1. Tyler Breeze vs. Jaxson Ryker (w/Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler). Height wise both men were at the same size, but of course Ryker’s jacked. Ryker tossed Breeze around a little bit early on. Ryker tossed Breeze and gave him a front kick. Breeze managed to get a flurry of offense in. Ryker ended that flurry with a uranage. Ryker got a two count after hitting Breeze with a backbreaker. Ryker went for a chinlock. Ryker kicked Breeze around to toy with him. Breeze came back with a leaping knee. Cutler went for a distraction. Breeze countered the distraction and Ryker’s move to victory roll Ryker up for the surprise win.
Tyler Breeze defeated Jaxson Ryker via pinfall in 3:21.
The Forgotten Sons beat up on Breeze three-on-one. Ryker was going for a power bomb, but Johnny F’n Curtis showed up. The commentators were calling him Fandango, but he was wearing regular clothes. Breeze and Curtis cleared the Sons from the ring. Breezango’s entrance music played to close the segment. The crowd did their Fandango dance during the Fandango part…
Highlights aired of Candice LeRae attacking Io Shirai during her match last week…
Candice LeRae was shown pacing around outside. Mauro hyped Bronson Reed (Jonah Rock) vs. Cameron Grimes (Trevor Lee) in a Breakout semi final match… [c]
John’s Thoughts: Surprising clean win for Tyler as I thought they were going to keep protecting Ryker a bit more. Ryker has been the lone bright spot in the Forgotten Sons act, the Forgotten Sons act is holding him down. Anyway, another good surprise in Fandango’s return. I kinda hope he goes back to the Johnny Curtis name as I think cheeseball Fandango has been played out. What was a good sign was Fandango coming out wearing a shirt and jeans, looking less goofball. Goofy works for Breeze. I feel like there’s untapped potential with Curtis.
Nigel McGuinness thanked the band Slipknot for providing the song “Unsainted” for NXT Takeover: Toronto…
2. Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes in a semi-final match of the NXT Breakout Tournament. Some Aussies in the crowd were doing their Australian chants for the Australian Reed. Reed tossed Grimes like a basketball early on. Reed dominated Grimes with his power game. Grimes escaped Reed’s grasp with clubbing blows but Reed comes right back with a shoulder block. Reed gave Grimes chops in the corner. Reed gave Grimes his own set of clubbing blows. Mauro noted that Grimes has a welt on his back. Grimes ran around the ring and gained the upper hand with a baseball slide to Reed.
Grimes hit Reed with a flying lariat. Nigel noted that the move had a lot of impact (I couldn’t help but make the allusion every time they make that comment for a former TNA wrestler). Grimes locked in a resthold, but Reed powered out. Reed caught a running Grimes with a power slam. Reed hit Grimes with a stinger splash and Samoan Drop. Reed followed up with a running senton. Grimes got his foot on the bottom rope to break the pin attempt. Grimes pulled Reed to the rope to stagger Grimes. Grimes hit Reed with a superman punch. Grimes then withstood Reed’s punches and responded with a kick. Grimes caught Reed with the running double stomp for the victory.
Cameron Grimes defeated Bronson Reed via pinfall in 5:53 to advance to the finals of the NXT Breakout Tournament.
Nigel noted that the finals will occur during the NXT Takeover: Toronto fallout episode…
Nigel hyped next week’s show which is going to focus on chronicling the Gargano and Cole feud… [c]
John’s Thoughts: Interesting enough, this was actually a pretty disappointing match. I say this because I’ve seen a lot better from Grimes over the past 4 years, even during the times he gets squashed as a comedy goofball. I haven’t seen much, if any, of Reed but I think the guy has an impressive and unique look. That said, hopefully Grimes makes a comeback of sorts by stealing the show with the former ACH during Takeover weekend.
Matt Riddle was interviewed at his gym. Riddle talked about how Dain should meet him face-to-face instead of attacking from behind. Nigel advertised Riddle vs. Dain for next week…
Shayna Baszler was in the ring for a promo. She talked about how Mia Yim blindsided Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke. Baszler talked about how this isn’t the street and this is a professional setting. Baszler talked about how she’s going to put Yim to sleep and how street rats don’t survive in Baszler’s world. Mia Yim made her entrance wearing a NWA tanktop (the rap NWA) and asked if Baszler was scared. Yim joked about Duke and Shafir being gone. Yim said she was going to bring a fight that Baszler can’t train for. Baszler said Yim’s not special and everyone is going to see Yim as street trash…
John’ s Thoughts: There’s some of the Mia Yim we got to see in her feud against Rosemary during the latter stages of her Impact run. That was one of Yim’s better promo performances. Baszler was decent too. Not the absolute best from both women, but I like that Yim is starting to get more into her natural character. It’s the same problem as in Impact. Yim is not a clean-cut babyface and heroes come in all different attitudes.
Candice LeRae was still pacing around in the parking lot (she was waiting for 20 minutes?). William Regal walked to LeRae and said Io Shirai isn’t here tonight because Regal advised her not to be there. LeRae wanted a match with Io Shirai. Regal gave LeRae a match with Shirai at Takeover…
John’s Thoughts: Two women’s matches at Takeover? That’s awesome. Let’s see if this leads to one of the matches being cut for time or if we get maybe a three hour show this time. Maybe 2 hours 45 minutes? As I said, LeRae and Shirai can deliver. This is also our first non-Baszler women’s match in a long time if I remember correctly.
The commentators hyped Street Profits vs. Undisputed Era for the tag titles at the next takeover…
3. Roderick Strong vs. Pete Dunne. Mauro reminded people that Dunne is 24 years old and started wrestling at 12 years old. Dunne and Strong had a stalemate during the initial chain wrestling sequence. Strong locked Dunne in a kesa gatame. Dunne wiggled out. Dunne caught Strong in his joint manipulation moves. Dunne then went for an octopus hold but Dunne moved to the ropes. Strong came back with roundhouse kicks and punches. Dunne and Strong traded strong style chops with Strong dominating and stomping a mudhole on Dunne. Mauro noted that all of Undisputed Era are in position to win gold at the next Takeover.
Pete Dunne grounded Strong and hit him with an elbow stomp. Dunne got Strong in the same position and gave Strong a PK to the elbow. Strong caught Dunne in a Torture Rack into a backbreaker. Strong hit Dunne with another backbreaker for a two count. Dunne went for a comeback but he ran right into a Strong dropkick. Dunne escaped a superplex and hit Strong with a missile dropkick. Dunne picked up the pace and hit Strong with an enzuigiri. Dunne hit Strong with an X Plex and PK for a two count. Dunne landed on his feet after getting suplexed by Strong. Dunne got Strong with a sitout power bomb for a two count.
Strong rolled to ringside to recover. Dunne went for a Golden Triangle Moonsault but Strong ran to the rope. Strong hit Dunne with a backbreaker on the ring apron. Strong nailed Dunne with another backbreaker for a two count. Strong came at Dunne with several forearm smashes. Dunne came back with his own strikes. Strong hit Dunne with an Angle Slam. Dunne reversed a back suplex into a DDT to leave both men lying. Strong and Dunne traded rapid fire forearms and chops. Dunne was the man on top with the advantage. Dunne fended off Strong with boots in the corner. Dunne was staggered with a roundhouse to the shin form Strong. Dunne hit Strong with a sunset backbreaker bomb. Strong recovered and hit Dunne with a high knee. Strong locked Dunne in a Stronghold (Liontamer).
Dunne escaped by grabbing the hand of Strong and giving Strong boots. Dunne locked Strong in a triangle into his joint manipulation. Dunne hit Strong with his signature finger break spot. This actually caused Strong to tap out.
Pete Dunne defeated Roderick Strong via submission in 16:01.
Velveteen Dream was shown creeping behind Dunne teasing a belt shot to the head. Dunne saw Dream coming. Dream did his Dream pose. Dunne grabbed Dream’s fingers and gave him a Bitter End to stand tall…
John’s Thoughts: A good match that seemed to lack some energy due to what I’m assuming is an exhausted crowd. You could tell the crowd wanted to provide more energy but this is coming up on the end of the tapings. That and this wasn’t the Takeover-level match that you would expect from Dunne and Strong given their track records of great matches. That said, I did really like the finish. One problem I always said with Progress Wrestling matches (which includes a lot of Dunne) is that these guys have all these “signature” spots but until you see the finisher, you don’t take other nearfalls as seriously as you should. I like that Dunne won a match with his finger break spot for once and against a credible opponent. A solid episode of NXT building up for Takeover…
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