By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT TV on USA Network
Aired live October 2, 2019 from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University
[Hour One] NXT opened with a video feature narrated by Slipknot singer Corey Taylor, who said NXT is the most exclusive brand of combat in the world… The NXT opening aired… The broadcast team was Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Beth Phoenix. Ranallo spoke on camera and said the first 30 minutes of the show would be commercial-free…
Powell’s POV: A cool video to open the show. Jake Barnett is covering the AEW show in a separate post on the main page. John Moore normally handles the NXT reviews, but he’s off celebrating his 30th birthday. By the way, we will not be including any AEW spoilers in this report, just as Jake won’t have any NXT spoilers in his for the benefit of readers who want to watch both shows without having anything spoiled.
Ring entrances for the opening match aired. They showed footage of Matt Riddle putting Adam Cole in an armbar and said that while Cole has been cleared to compete, he would be wearing a cast on his right wrist…
1. Adam Cole vs. Matt Riddle for the NXT Championship. Alicia Taylor delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Riddle got off to a quick start, but Cole ended up ringside and caught him with a shot, then ran Riddle into the ring steps. There were dueling chants for the wrestlers from the Full Sail crowd.
Back inside the ring, Riddle caught Cole with an overhead kick and followed up with an exploder suplex. Riddle performed a senton and a running kick that led to a two count. Riddle caught Cole with a knee and performed a fisherman’s buster suplex for a near fall. Riddle followed with a German suplex into a bridge for another near fall at 5:40.
Riddle had Cole on his back and tossed him up, but Cole caught him with a Backstabber on the way down and got a two count. Cole stomped on one of Riddle’s bare feet. Riddle came back with a knee to the head. Cole caught him with a superkick. Riddle performed a wicked German suplex. Cole responded with a neckbreaker onto his knee for a near fall. Great sequence.
At 9:10, Riddle went for a moonsault, but Cole put his knees up. Cole followed up by leaping from the middle rope and hitting a Panama Sunrise for a near fall, which led to holy shit chants. Cole set up for the Last Shot, but Riddle fell to the mat. Cole went back to the ropes for another Panama Sunrise, but Riddle cut him off and hit a GTS and a powerbomb, then blasted Cole with a knee and hit a moonsault for a great near fall.
Riddle went up top and Cole cut him off. They fought for position on the ropes. Cole got the better of it and hit another Panama Sunrise, but Riddle countered into a Bromission. Cole countered into a pin for a two count, forcing Riddle to break the hold. Riddle took Cole down and applied an armbar on his bad hand. Cole rolled Riddle into a pin for a two count, then Riddle applied the same hold on Cole’s left arm. Cole break free and hit Riddle with his cast and then a Last Shot and scored the pin…
Adam Cole defeated Matt Riddle in 13:50 to retain the NXT Championship.
As Cole was celebrating in the ring, Finn Balor made his entrance. Ranallo said the former NXT Champion had come home. A “holy shit” chant broke out followed by a “welcome back” once Balor entered the ring. “As of now, Finn Balor is NXT,” Balor said while standing in the ring with Cole. The fans popped big. Cole left the ring and Balor’s music played while he played to the crowd…
Powell’s POV: A terrific back and forth match with some top notch near falls that had the live crowd going nuts. The finish was really good in that it gave Cole a win while also giving Riddle an obvious out for losing. Balor appearing was a cool surprise and sets the stage for what should be a hell of a feud with Cole.
A video package set up the NXT Women’s Championship match that included some brief comments from both women. Shayna Baszler said her opponents don’t just lose a match, they lose days off their careers. Candice LeRae said she’s been waiting for this moment and “it’s time for Candice LeRae to be Candice LeRae”…
Separate shots aired of Baszler and LeRae. Baszler was warming up with Marina Shafir…
Velveteen Dream was introduced. Dream was lying on a new sex couch while surrounded by a group of women. Dream brought up Roderick Strong and Undisputed Era and said that he’s never complained about taking on more than one man at a time. Funny.
Dream challenged Strong to a rematch for the NXT North American Championship and said Strong should consider it an opportunity to perform all on his own unless he’s afraid to step out of the Undisputed Era shadow. Dream closed with a “Dream Over” line and the lights turned out for a moment…
Powell’s POV: It’s nice that we are hearing from the wrestlers this week. NXT went two weeks without much talking. And while that works for longtime NXT viewers, it had to leave new viewers wishing they knew more about the characters. They’re getting it tonight through Dream’s promo and the video packages without going too heavy in the other direction.
The broadcast team spoke at their desk and announced that Drew Gulak will defend the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Lio Rush on next week’s show… A video package recapped Rush defeating Oney Lorcan to become No. 1 contender. Gulak said it doesn’t matter how impressive Rush is because he is always evolving…
2. Io Shirai vs. Mia Yim. The women quickly fought to ringside where Yim blasted Shirai with chops. They cut to a split screen break at 1:45. They cut to a split screen break at 1:45. Shirai was in offensive control coming out of the break. Shirai performed a handstand and then dropped her knees onto Yim. A short time later, Yim rallied with an overhead belly to belly suplex that left both women down at 7:30.
Shirai performed a 619 and followed up with a springboard dropkick for a two count at 9:20. Yim hit Shirai with a suicide dive going into another split screen break. Coming out of the break, Shirai stood on the bottom rope and hit Yim, who was seated on the top rope. Shirai superplexed Yim, which drew an NXT chant from the crowd. Shirai covered Yim for a two count. Shirai caught a kneeling Yim with a kick and followed up with a moonsault for the clean pin…
Io Shirai defeated Mia Yim in 14:45.
Powell’s POV: A good match. Even with the split screen, the commercials interrupted the flow a bit because you don’t hear the broadcast team, but the women were given plenty of time and put in a good performance.
Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were shown standing in the crowd while Io Shirai celebrated her win…
The Street Profits and Bianca Belair were shown arriving at the building earlier in the day. McGuinness noted that Montez Ford and Belair are married…
A Tegan Nox video package aired and focused on her suffering a torn ACL in the ring and her comeback efforts…
3. Johnny Gargano vs. Shane Thorne. Gargano received a strong reaction, while the live crowd was flat for Thorne. Thorne was the early aggressor and they cut to another split screen ad less than two minutes into the match. Thorne remained dominant throughout the break. Gargano came back with a tope dive at 5:55.
[Hour Two] Thorne cut off Gargano’s offense and caught him with a cannonball in the the corner, then powerbombed him for a close near fall. Thorne drilled Gargano with a kick to the back. Gargano rallied, but Thorne caught him with a roundhouse kick. Gargano came right back with a reverse huracanrana and then hit a superkick for the clean pin…
Johnny Gargano defeated Shane Thorne in 9:00.
Powell’s POV: A good match with Thorne looking good in defeat. I can’t help but wonder if they would have put Thorne over if this was still just a WWE Network show. Gargano is a star to regular NXT viewers and he easily could have absorbed the loss while Thorne would have benefitted greatly from a win, but it wouldn’t have meant much in the eyes of new viewers since they are unfamiliar with both wrestlers.
The broadcast team hyped The Rock appearing on Friday Night Smackdown on Fox. They also hyped Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens in a loser is fired from WWE ladder match, and the WWE Championship match between Kofi Kingston and Brock Lesnar…
4. Shayna Baszler vs. Candice LeRae for the NXT Women’s Championship. Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke walked onto the stage with Baszler, but they went to the back rather than accompany her to ringside. Taylor delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Baszler jumped out to the quick start. LeRae caught her with an enzuigiri and then dropkicked her to ringside. LeRae performed a springboard cross body block going into a split screen break (the last commercial was a full screen ad).
Baszler placed LeRae’s hand inside a hole in the ring steps, then kicked her arm. Baszler targeted the bad arm inside the ring. LeRae reached the ropes and ended up putting Baszler down face first on the apron. LeRae performed few dives onto Baszler at ringside and then rolled her back inside the ring. LeRae went to the ropes, but Baszler cut her off with a kick and joined her on the ropes. Baszler eventually performed a gut wrench suplex from the middle rope going into another split screen break at 9:00.
During the break, Baszler threw a knee to the head and counted along while covering LeRae, who kicked out at two. Baszler showed frustration. Coming out of the break, LeRae caught Baszler in a sleeper. Baszler flung LeRae off and then sat on the topes and applied a choke that she had to release. LeRae performed a neckbreaker from the ropes for a two count.
Baszler caught LeRae in the Kirafuda Clutch, but LeRae immediately fell onto her and had her pinned, so Baszler had to release the hold to avoid being pinned. LeRae followed up with a face plant move and went for a springboard moonsault form the middle rope with Phoenix rooting for her on commentary, but Baszler moved and then applied the Kirafuda Clutch. LeRae forced her way out of the hold once, but Baszler reapplied it and got the submission win…
Shayna Baszler defeated Candice LeRae in 14:50 to retain the NXT Women’s Championship.
As Baszler celebrated, Stephanie McMahon, Mark Henry, and Alundra Blayze were shown applauding in the crowd…
Powell’s POV: A strong match. Baszler continues to be one of my favorite acts in NXT even if a lot of fans have grumbled about the length of her title reign. The likable LeRae can absorb the loss. NXT wasn’t kidding about limited commercial interruptions. They are going above and beyond to avoid giving their viewers a chance to sample the competition.
The broadcast team hyped the WWE Hell in a Cell event… A video package showcased Imperium…
5. Pete Dunne vs. Danny Burch. They cut to a split screen break a couple minutes into the match (full screen ads aired in the middle). Dunne survived a DDT and performed his Bitter End finisher for the clean win.
Pete Dunne beat Danny Burch in 7:15.
The lights went out after the match. Damian Priest appeared in the ring behind Dunne and punched him when he turned around. Priest picked up Dunne and performed his neckbreaker style finisher before mugging for the crowd…
Powell’s POV: The match well worked even though there wasn’t much mystery in terms of who would go over. Priest attacking Dunne afterward sets up what should be a fun feud.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Adam Cole and tried to bring up his cast shot to Matt Riddle. Cole cut her off and said the cast is medically required and he actually won the match with the Last Shot. Cole’s Undisputed Era cohorts Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong interrupted Cole. Strong grumbled about Finn Balor. Cole said screw Balor. He said they are focused on the prophecy remaining fulfilled by making sure that Fish and O’Reilly keep the NXT Tag Titles…
Ranallo read a plug for Temptation Island (the greatest sleazy reality show in the history of sleazy reality shows)… A video package set up the NXT Tag Title match…
Backstage, rapper Wale stood with the Street Profits. They opened a door and made their entrance with Wale playing hype man. The trio entered the crowd where the fans had red cups. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly made their entrance…
Powell’s POV: A cool entrance with Wale doing a great job of pumping up the crowd. By the way, based on the ads that are being shown in full screen mode, I assume those are local advertisements, whereas all of the USA Network ads have been split screen.
6. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly vs. “The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins for the NXT Tag Titles. The lights were turned down and the teams stood in the ring with spotlights on them while Taylor delivered introductions from ringside. Fish took a powder to ringside at 1:30 leading to another split screen break.
Ford performed a handspring into a flip and then dropkicked Fish coming out of the break. The champions isolated Ford going into a during another split screen break (with a full screen ad at the end). Back from the break, Ranallo said the match will continue until they have a resolution, meaning they would be there all night. Ford was about to make a hot tag to Dawkins, but Fish pulled Dawkins to the floor.
[Overrun] The isolation continued with Fish and O’Reilly taking turns working over Ford in their corner.
Ford eventually made the hot tag to Dawkins. O’Reilly cut off Dawkins with a knee to the head and distracted the referee while Fish wrenched the left knee of Dawkins over the ropes. Dawkins crawled to his corner even though Ford was down at ringside. O’Reilly leapt off the top rope and dropped a knee onto the bad leg of Dawkins.
O’Reilly applied a kneebar. Ford recovered and tried to help, but Fish put him in a guillotine choke. Ford drove Fish into O’Reilly to break up both submission holds. A short time later, Ford tagged in performed a top rope splash for a near fall. Ford went up top. O’Reilly helped Fish get to ringside and they were trying to leave. Dawkins cut off Fish and O’Reilly, then Ford performed a big flip dive onto all three men.
Ford rolled Fish back inside the ring and went up top, but Roderick Strong ran out and stopped him. Ford kicked Strong away, then Dawkins speared Strong on the apron. Fish pulled Ford from the ropes, tagged in O’Reilly, and the duo hit their finisher on Ford and O’Reilly pinned him…
Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly defeated The Street Profits in 20:00 to retain the NXT Tag Titles.
After the match, Adam Cole came out holding the NXT Championship and held it up on the stage while Fish, O’Reilly, and Strong held up their titles in the ring. Tommaso Ciampa’s music played. Cole looked dejected. Ciampa walked out and walked around Cole on the stage while looking at the NXT Championship. Ciampa looked up at Cole and glared at him and the title belt as the show went off the air…
Powell’s POV: A really good tag team main event with a hot post match return for Ciampa. The crowd popped for Ciampa, who was the biggest heel on the brand before he was sidelined by a neck injury that required surgery. It’s great to see him back and the NXT Title picture is suddenly crowded with both Balor and Ciampa, not to mention Riddle and Gargano. NXT delivered a top notch show. It looked good on paper and it was even better in reality, especially with the bonus fun of the surprise appearances by Balor and Ciampa. I will be by with my members’ exclusive audio review of this episode shortly and then I’ll be checking out AEW and doing a members’ exclusive audio review of that show late tonight. Thanks for watching along with me and be sure to grade the show via our poll on the main page.
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