BRM Reviews the 7/24/2019 NXT (awesome)

[Big Red Machine]

Our recap package for the main event angle on last week’s show end with William Regal announcing that Gargano and Cole will face off for the title in 3 Stages of Hell, with each guy picking one of the first two stips, and Regal picking the third one if it goes the distance.

NXT BREAKOUT TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL MATCH: Jordan Myles vs. Angel Garza- 7.75/10
A GREAT opener!

SHANE THORNE PROMO- meh
He came over the commentary table and grabbed Mauro’s headset, then cut a promo saying that he was better than everyone in the Breakout Tournament and is upset about not getting TV time. He vows to break out without the air of tournament. His passion was there, but I just can’t take his claims seriously because… well… he’s Shane Thorne. I’ve been watching him for years, and other than Boa (who is still pretty green) and Dexter Lumis (who is at least great at his character even if he isn’t very impressive in the ring) he’s so clearly not better than anyone in this tournament.

JOHNNY GARGANO PROMO- good
He cut a good babyface promo for his title match, then revealed that the stipulation he has chosen is a street fight.

BIANCA BELAIR vs. XIA LI- 1.25/10
Short. Bianca dominated most of it and won clean.

KILLIAN DAIN VIDEO PACKAGE/PROMO ON MATT RIDDLE- awesome

SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF MIA YIM ATTACKING JESSAMYN DUKE AT THE PERFORMANCE CENTER- not good
First of all, sneaking up on someone and slamming a locker door on them and then yelling “SURPRISE, MOTHERF*CKER!” will never not make be burst out into laughter, and I don’t think I was supposed to be laughing at this segment. Secondly, like last week’s attack on Marina Shafir, I don’t remember what the heels did to Mia to deserve this. Thirdly, maybe it’s just not having experienced it on my part, but I did not at all buy that kicking a locker door into someone’s shoulder like that could cause as much main as Jessamyn was in here.

NORTH AMERICAN TITLE SEGMENT- AWESOME segment
The Velveteen Dream came out and cut a promo building up to a title match with Roddy by saying that Roddy must have sold his soul to the devil to beat him, then said that Roddy “was not big enough to ride this ride,” and that whoever his next challenger would be would fail. He said that last part in a much cooler way than what I wrote, but that was the general gist of it. He called out anyone who had the gall to challenge him, and out came Roddy, who cut an awesome promo on TVD, challenging him to a title match at TakeOver.
Then Pete Dunne came out and got a HUGE pop. He snapped Roddy’s finger and had a stare-down with TVD, which ended when TVD backed off.

RODERICK STRONG GOES TO SEE COMMISSIONER REGAL- very entertaining
The news coming out of this is:
1. Dunne is going to be in NXT for a while, per a deal between Regal and Johnny Saint
2. We’re getting Dunne vs. Roddy vs. TVD for the title
3. Roddy demanded a match against Dunne next week and vowed to ensure that Dunne “won’t make it to TakeOver.” Regal approved the match.

IO SHIRAI vs. KACY CATANZARO- no rating, good segment
Io hit Kacy with about three moves before Candice LeRae made her big return, running in for the DQ. Candice beat Io up a bit and then went for a chair but Io escaped the beating.

ADAM COLE PROMO-
He complained about Regal trying to screw Roddy over by adding Dunne to the match, then put over Fish & O’Reilly’s title match with the Street Profits and said UE would win all of the titles at TakeOver. He then announced that the stipulation he is choosing for TakeOver is… a plain old wrestling match. Why? Because that’s what he beat Gargano in at TakeOver XXV, and in the first fall of their match at TakeOver: New York. He plans to beat Johnny again, and thus embarrass him so badly that he won’t be able to call himself “Johnny Wrestling” anymore.

In addition to Roddy vs. Dunne, also announced for next week is Tyler Breeze vs. Jaxson Ryker.

DAMIAN PRIEST vs. KEITH LEE- 6.5/10
This was fun, personality-filled hoss fight. Priest won in the end by using the referee as a distraction and taking advantage of it to nail Lee with a Cyclone Boot before hitting “The Reckoning,” which is a freakin’ CrossRhodes/Test Drive. I have nothing against that move in particular, but it doesn’t seem like a particularly big and cool move for a large guy to be using as his finisher.


An awesome episode of NXT, with several excellent segments and promo, an excellent opener, and turn in the main event.

[KILLdozer]

I definitely expected a drasticslly, very different result with Io Shirai and Candice Lerae, but I suppose at this point you shouldn't beat down Lerae again, except This "new Io Shirai in all black leather", turning around and running instead of slamming the chair into her face just felt strange and exactly the opposite of...what you'd expect.

[Big Red Machine]

I definitely expected a drasticslly, very different result with Io Shirai and Candice Lerae, but I suppose at this point you shouldn't beat down Lerae again, except This "new Up Shirai in all black leather", turning around and running instead of slamming the chair into her face just felt strange and exactly the opposite of...what you'd expect.

I agree that it makes Io feel like a bit more of a normal heel than I think people were hoping for, but I think this was the best thing to do in order to set up a match for Takeover, given the time frame.

Also, it contrasts Io's "I don't need friends" with Candice being Kacy's friend.

[KILLdozer]

I definitely expected a drasticslly, very different result with Io Shirai and Candice Lerae, but I suppose at this point you shouldn't beat down Lerae again, except This "new Up Shirai in all black leather", turning around and running instead of slamming the chair into her face just felt strange and exactly the opposite of...what you'd expect.

I agree that it makes Io feel like a bit more of a normal heel than I think people were hoping for, but I think this was the best thing to do in order to set up a match for Takeover, given the time frame.

Also, it contrasts Io's "I don't need friends" with Candice being Kacy's friend.

Yeah it wasn't a bad idea to do at all, just nowhere near what was expected.

[Bob-O]

I definitely expected a drasticslly, very different result with Io Shirai and Candice Lerae, but I suppose at this point you shouldn't beat down Lerae again, except This "new Up Shirai in all black leather", turning around and running instead of slamming the chair into her face just felt strange and exactly the opposite of...what you'd expect.

I agree that it makes Io feel like a bit more of a normal heel than I think people were hoping for, but I think this was the best thing to do in order to set up a match for Takeover, given the time frame.

Also, it contrasts Io's "I don't need friends" with Candice being Kacy's friend.

You have to consider, too, that Baszler is also a "Stand Up" Heel. There might not be room for both of them...