By John Moore, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)
NXT TV Live Review
Taped August 15, 2019 in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University
Streamed September 4, 2019 on WWE Network
Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Beth Phoenix were on commentary. Breezango made their entrance with a new police themed entrance music. It even started off with an “Ohhhhhh. Brezango” similar to “ohhhhhh, Chavo”. Their opponents were Chase Parker and Matt Martel…
1. “Breezango” Tyler Breeze and Fandango vs. Chase Parker and Matt Martel. Martel and Parker dominated early on against Dango. Dango swang his dango around and hit Parker with a leg drop. Breeze hit Parker with a snap suplex, nearfall, and dominated Parker. Breeze struck the Tranquillo pose in the corner. Martel tagged in and ate a dropkick from Breeze. Martel shoved Breeze’s head into Parker’s foot to turn the tide. Parker dominated Breeze in the heel corner.
Breeze fought out of the corner with a forearm and enzuigiri against both opponents. Dango got the hot tag and took down Parker with strikes and chops. Dango hit Parker and Martel with power slams. Dango hit Parker with a Falcon Arrow. Breezango hit their opponents with “The Fashion Follow Up” (Elbow drop, stationary back stabber combo).
Breezango defeated Chase Parker and Matt Martel via pinfall in 4:07.
Keith Lee and Jordan Myles were walking outside. Cathy Kelley interviewed Myles about his title match. Myles said his confidence will be there. Lee talked about how Myles has been here for just a few months and he has nothing to worry about because he got a world title shot in such a short amount of time.
Nigel McGuinness tried to send things to commercial but he was interrupted by footage of Candice LeRae being whipped in a parking lot by Io Shirai and a Kendo Stick… [c]
John’s Thoughts: While I wanted to see a more serious turn for Johnny Curtis, to look at things from the bright side, maybe they can get what the main roster couldn’t get out of the Fashion Police. A slightly quirky comedy duo that can also go in the ring. Two solid segments after too. Are they teasing a Keith Lee heel turn by having him be jealous against Jordan Myles? Maybe join Shane Thorne’s plight against the breakout stars. The Io Shirai segment was simple and effective too. Possibly setting some sort of hardcore match at the next takeover.
Cameron Grimes was shown ranting backstage about not winning the breakout tournament. He was acting somewhat manic. Grimes calmed a bit down and said he’s at the bottom now and his goal is to get back to the top. He said his goal is to be the champion, to be the champion, to be the champion. He put on a top hat (he was also wearing a brown vest) and he walked away…
John’s Thoughts: The content was a bit generic, but I like the intensity. If given someone to write his promos, he can be something great. Once he gets a handle on making his own promos he can be something great. Really rooting for Lee. I’ve reviewed every single one (mostly) of his TV matches over the past four years, seen him go through undercard hell, and show all the promise in the world.
Velveteen Dream made his usual fine entrance. It wasn’t the finest though because Kona F’n Reeves was his opponent!!!
2. Velveteen Dream vs. Kona Reeves in a non-title match. Reeves dominated Dream early on. Dream tried to fight back with a pump kick, but Reeves regained control with a few strong pump kicks of his own. Reeves caught Dream with a drive by knee. Dream had a little bit of a comeback, but Reeves reversed a sunset flip by sitting down. The referee Jessika Carr caught Reeves trying to use the ropes. The distracted reeves was blindsided by Dream and hit by the Dream Valley Driver for the victory.
Velveteen Dream defeated Kona Reeves via pinfall in 4:01.
Roderick Strong was shown standing in a dark area over a fire. He talked about how Dream wanted to see Strong do something. The camera panned back and showed that Dream’s sex couch was now on fire… [c]
John’s Thoughts: Oh no! Not Dream’s sex couch! You can’t have sex on burned ash!?! I commend NXT the past few months for having these enhancement matches enhance the signature moves to give them more credibility in nearfall. We saw Roderick Strong tap out to Pete Dunne’s cliche finger break and this time we saw Reeves lose to Dream’s setup move. Good direction to take. By the way, still hoping for Kona to break out too because this guy is good on the mic now and the television audience hasn’t seen it yet. Kona is in a similar position as Dream was at one point. Kona had a dorky ass gimmick when he was “the finest” at first, so was Dream as the Prince cosplayer. Kona is ready to be taken seriously if they only give the guy mic time.
Taynara Conti made her entrance for a match against Bianca Belair. Conti has no chance?
3. Bianca Belair vs. Taynara Conti. Drake Younger was the referee. Conti actually managed to land a monkey flip on Belair. Conti went for a cross armbar but Belair used her strong core to block it. Belair recovered and took down Conti with a shoulder block. Belair did a front cardwheel and hit Conti with a dropkick. Conti went for a monkey flip again but Belair landed on her feet. Conti followed upon Belair with a shotgun dropkick.
Belair dragged Belair’s face against the bottom rope. Conti showed a nice mean streak for a sequence which included a few nearfalls. Conti hit Belair with a few bicycle knees. Conti hit Belair with an illegal rope hung armbar and Belair spilled to the floor. Conti went for a crossbody against Belair but Belair caught Conti and hit her with a fallaway slam at ringside. Conti and Belair broke the ten count. Belair hit Conti with a face buster and showed her mean streak. Belair hit Conti with a handspring moonsault. Conti escaped a suplex. Belair hit Conti with the sitout Burning Hammer for the win.
Bianca Belair defeated Taynara Conti via pinfall in 5:40.
Adam Cole was shown getting ready for his title defense backstage… [c]
John’s Thoughts: A match that everybody knew the result of, but the women managed to make a foregone conclusion pretty entertaining. This was fun. Conti’s problem big time is that she’s all over the place with her character. She needs to find something to sink her teeth into. Maybe send her down to Evolve? Belair had one of her better matches here, especially being the ring general of this match. Now that NXT is moving to USA, hopefully Belair can be one of the face’s of the brand. She’s something special and unique with her agility and power mix.
Nigel McGuinness talked about how Johnny Gargano is making an announcement next week regarding his NXT future…
William Regal was shown in his office. He announced Mia Yim vs. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai in a number one contenders match for the NXT Women’s Championship…
Alicia Taylor handled the formal ring introductions for the main event…
4. Adam Cole vs. Jordan Myles for the NXT Championship. Cole took down Myles early on with a side headlock. Cole thwarted Myles’s leapfrog by stopping on a dime then locking back in the side headlock. After getting planted with another headlock, Myles managed to show off his agility and ended up locking Cole in an armbar. Cole escaped but Myles showed off his agility again by hitting him with a dropkick. Myles went for a PK from the apron but cole tripped Myles off the apron. Cole tossed Myles face first into the ringpost.
Cole beat up on Myles in the corner. Nigel commended Cole for being a fighting champion by resetting the ten count clock. Mauro noted that Cole also defended his title against Akira Tozawa at the Evolve 10th anniversary. Cole whipped Myles into the bottom rope for a unique and nasty looking whiplash to Myles’s neck. Cole locked Myles in a headscissors triangle. Cole trash talked and looked down to Myles. Myles and Cole then had a strong style sequence with Myles hitting Cole with the Road Dogg combo.
Myles flipped and hit Cole with a basement Yakuza kick. Myles hit Cole with a plancha and diving crossbody for a nearfall. It took two attempts but Myles managed to hit Cole with a deadlift German Suplex. Myles went for a dive but Cole intercepted Myles running with a bicycle pump kick. Myles was tripped off the top rope. Cole locked Myles in the figure four leglock. Myles managed to alligator roll to the bottom rope. Cole and Myles brawled to the top rope. Myles shoved Cole off the top rope. Cole hit a flying myles with a pump kick. Cole then hit Myles with the Last Shot Ushigoroshi for a nearfall. Myles sidestepped Cole and knocked him off the apron with a dropkick.
Myles managed to hit Cole with the PK from the apron this time. Myles hit a nice suicide dive on Cole. Myles got a great nearfall off of cole (I missed the move due to looking at my monitor). Cole evaded a 450. Myles hit Cole with a sweep into a superkick. Myles went for a 450 but his head hit Cole’s raised knees. Myles went for what looked like a slingshot STO, but he ran right into three consecutive kicks. The last kick being the Last Shot Shining Wizard kick for the Cole victory.
Adam Cole defeated Jordan Myles via pinfall in 14:36 to retain the NXT Championship.
Cole left to the back. The camera stuck on Myles as he was carried by the referee to the back to close the show…
John’s Thoughts: A strong match that elevated Cole and elevated Myles somewhat. That said, I don’t know why they held this multi month tournament only to blow off the reward just weeks after the tournament was won. Does this have something to do with the move to USA and them not wanting to focus storylines on Myles for some reason? Maybe something with Keith Lee in upcoming weeks? I don’t know, but what hurt the really well-wrestled match the audience not being convinced that Myles had any shot at winning the title. Good match, but I’m pretty sure no one saw the former ACH picking up the belt.
That criticism aside, this was another solid episode of NXT. A good follow up to last week’s fun episode. NXT is simple and effective with their booking. What I do like is that NXT always seems to be moving forward with their storylines as opposed to spinning their wheels. Well, Bianca Belair was spinning her wheels on this episode, but at least she made her wheel spinning entertaining and maybe she gets a spotlight in the NXT to USA move. Speaking of such, odd that there were no references at all in regards to the huge move in a few weeks? Very odd?
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