By Zack Zimmerman
NXT on WWE Network
Taped at Full Sail University
A video package recapped Takeover Toronto, including the crowning of new NXT and NXT Tag Team champions… The opening video played…
Inside the Air Canada Center in Toronto (before the events of Takeover Toronto) the commentators Corey Graves and Tom Phillips checked in and talked vaguely about how great Takeover was. Rich Swann kicked off the show with his entrance and the commentators promoted the premier of 205 Live on Tuesday. Kona Reeves (formerly Noah Kekoa and Noah Potjes) was out next playing up the Polynesian theme.
1. Rich Swann vs. Kona Reeves. The larger Reeves tossed Swann across the ring with a big biel throw right out of the gate. Swann used his quickness to combat Reeves, but that backfired when Reeves popped him up into a huge Samoan Drop and took control from there. He worked over Swann until the two-minute mark when Swann made a comeback. He hit clothesline after clothesline before finally taking Reeves off his feet. Swann hit a jumping high kick in the corner and then looked like he was going for his standing 450 but he ended up landing butt-first on Reeves. Just then, Sanity’s music hit and the lights cut out for them to make their full entrance as if there was nothing going on in the ring. Once they finally got into the ring, they attacked both guys and the ref called for the bell.
The match ended in a no-contest in about 4:30.
Sanity tossed Swann to ringside and put a beating on Reeves. The crowd chanted for “EY” Eric Young while Wolfe and Fulton hit their finisher on Reeves. Swann got back up and went to the top turnbuckle, but he fell to the numbers game. Eric Young laid him out with his wheelbarrow neckbreaker and then took a microphone for a promo.
Young said that the world is hanging on by a thread from total chaos. He said that he tried to do it “your way” and he had nothing to show for it. He said they’re not going to ask permission nor seek approval; he said they’re going to “take.” Meanwhile through all of this, the other members of Sanity were just thrashing around the ring… [C]
Zim Says: Whatever shine there may have been on Sanity at their inception has worn off with me. How many wrestlers can talk in silly apocalyptic/anarchy speak and expect to be taken seriously?
Back in the arena, Sanity’s music was still playing as they were leaving the arena. No Way Jose had made his way to the ring to check on Swann and he decided to speak up. He took a mic and invited Sanity to “take” a whooping from him tonight. Jose called out Eric Young and wanted a match with him. Young made his way to the ring, got up onto the apron, and slowly entered the ring. Wolfe jumped up onto the apron and Jose fended him off. Jose caught EY with a pop-up punch, but there was still no bell nor referee. Suddenly, the other members of Sanity hit the ring and jumped Jose. They put a beating on him before Young laid him out with the wheelbarrow neckbreaker and Sanity’s music hit. They posed in the ring as the commentators turned their attention elsewhere…
A narrated recap showed the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic from Takeover… Backstage after their win, The Authors of Pain and Paul Ellering were interviewed. Ellering said The Authors established their destiny, unleashed a plethora of pain, and the rest remains to be written. Each of the Authors spoke briefly in a foreign language…
Daria Berenato was shown shadow boxing backstage at Takeover when she was approached by Billie Kay and Peyton Royce about being their third in the match against Liv Morgan, Aliyah, and Ember Moon. She was on board only because it involved beating people up… The interviewer was standing by with the trio of Berenato, Kay, and Royce. Kay and Royce acted like everyone was begging to be their partner but said they invited Berenato to their club. They laughed confidently at her being their backup, and she just threw a single punch at air… [C]
A recap aired of the Takeover match between Bobby Roode and Tye Dillinger… The roving cameraman caught up with Tye Dillinger after his loss on Saturday. Dillinger said it’s disheartening to spend so many years working and come up short time after time after rime. He said the worst part is that his family was in the crowd to see him lose. He said he felt like his momentum was catching on and he doesn’t know what to do next. He found a silver lining that 10,000 people gave him a standing ovation after the match. He said he might’ve come up short this time, but he vower not to next time…
A recap aired of the phenomenal 2/3 falls match for the NXT Tag Team Championships at Takeover where #DIY defeated The Revival to win the titles… Backstage after their win, emotional new champions Gargano and Ciampa reacted. Ciampa said it’s validation of everything they’ve worked for. They were both on the verge of tears. They said they love one another and Ciampa called Gargano one of the best in the world. Gargano simply repeated “we did it. We did it…”
The ladies trios match set up last week and earlier in the show was hyped as the main event… [C]
Mickie James challenging Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship at Takeover was recapped… Backstage, Mickie James was asked for her reaction. She was in tears. She said that she’s sad it’s over because it’s so rare to feel the crowd the way she felt the crowd on that night. She said that she was never 100 percent sure she had Asuka beat, but she felt like she might’ve had her number. She gave respect to Asuka, but said the she lost some of it because Asuka wouldn’t shake her hand afterwards…
The main event of Takeover Toronto was recapped, with Samoa Joe defeating Shinsuke Nakamura to recapture the NXT Championship after a low blow, slam onto the ring steps, and a Muscle Buster… The roving repair caught up with Nakamura on his way out of the arena after his loss and he simply stated that he want’s his rematch with Samoa Joe as soon as possible…
A graphic hyped that Samoa Joe would be appearing on next week’s episode emanating from Ottawa… Backstage, the babyface trio of Aliyah, Ember Moon, and Liv Morgan was shown walking towards the Gorilla position… [C]
No Way Jose vs. Eric Young was announced for next week…
Back in the arena, Liv Morgan made her entrance and didn’t get much of a reaction. Aliyah was out next and she got a bigger response because she’s from Toronto. Ember Moon rounded out the entrances for her team as the clear star. Billie Kay and Peyton Royce made their entrance next. A pretty elaborate entrance video and music that built up played, but once it revealed that it was for Daria Berenato, the crowd had no idea who she was and didn’t react a bit.
2. Liv Morgan, Aliyah, and Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, and Daria Berenato. Liv and Billie opened up with Liv using the Matrix dodge to avoid Billie and get the better of her. Liv hit a double bulldog onto Billie and Peyton early on. Aliyah and Darie worked awkwardly together, with a bad pin attempt from Aliyah and then a slam from Daria that looked like it killed poor Aliyah. [C]
Back in the ring, Billie and Peyton hit a stalling double suplex for a two-count and then used a nice combination of tandem kicks. They continued to isolate Aliyah with frequent tags. Daria wore Aliyah out with kicks and a sliding knee to the back before settling into a bodyscissors. Daria’s proficiency in MMA isn’t up to par with her MMA gear, however, as Aliyah simply turned around and rained ground and pound on her. Ember Moon took the hot tag went off on Peyton Royce.
Ember hit a unique headscissors, her handspring Stinger Splash, and a springboard crossbody for a two-count. Things broke down a short time later, which led to Billie calling for “plan B” where she and Peyton tagged in Daria and then abandoned her. Ember Moon came flying in off the top rope and dropped Daria with the Eclipse, which wasn’t sold as cleanly as usual.
Ember Moon, Aliyah, and Liv Morgan over Daria Berenato, Billie Kay, and Peyton Royce in about 5:40.
Peyton and Billie wearily backed up the ramp before a graphic revealed the announcement that in two weeks at the NXT Live event in Osaka, Japan (Shinsuke Nakamura’s billed hometown) Nakamura will get his rematch at Samoa Joe and the NXT Championship. The show closed back in the arena with the babyface trio of ladies celebrating their win…
Zim Says: Well, that was a match. This show was absolutely skippable. The reaction videos from Takeover have been available all week and quite frankly you’re probably better off not even bothering with the two matches featured on this show. The only things of note here were promotion for the next couple of weeks, with No Way Jose vs. Eric Young and Samoa Joe’s appearance set of next week and the NXT Championship rematch being set for Osaka. There you have it. You could literally read nothing but this paragraph and you’d know everything you need to know. Think of all the things you could do with those 45 minutes. Hopefully next week is a bit more of-consequence. Until then, take care.
You can also check back tomorrow for the Member-Exclusive DotNet NXT Audio Recap, plus Darren Gutteridge’s NXT Hitlist which will be available to everyone.
Throw comments, questions, criticisms, or corrections @DotNetZim or DotNetZim@gmail.com; always happy to discuss.
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