- First match, no messing around with promos and recapping (ahem WWE RAW), we get Velveteen Dream vs Bobby Fish straight out of the gate. Dream is rocking his Prince/Jimi Hendix meets Goldust vibe as usual before taking it to Fish in the early going with some 'sexy' offense, aka pausing inbetween moves to grind for his opponent. Fish eventually responds and the match displays some nice, old school psychology as he focuses in on going for Dream's right leg. He continues to try and wear Dream down before running into a well executed Dream Valley Driver for the three in just under ten minutes.
A solid opener demonstarting some good ring psychology and a platform for Dream to continue to build his star power before challenging Adam Cole for the NXT title in the near future. Dream alludes to this in a short post-match promo, saying to Cole 'You're gonna get worked harder than you ever have been before' (cheeky). All in all a good start.
- A serial killer coked out of his mind next as Dexter Lumis takes on debuting, marginally above jobber type Jake Atlas. Maniac with a moustache Lumis never takes eyes off the camera as he enters to hynoptic, Stranger Things style music and creepily slides into the ring and towards the camera. Atlas is generic and seems to be a lamb to the slaughter before actually getting a few moves in. It doesn't last too long though before our lamb is silenced by the moustached maniac, hitting a sit down rock bottom and a shoulder submission for the tapout victory. Lumis leaves in his trance again to presumably eat Atlas' liver and take some more coke.
Interesting watch. Lumis' character may be limited in the long run but at least it's different and he plays a good part.
- 6-women gauntlet time now and it's Shtzi Blackheart who is the star of the show as she runs through four competitors in impressive fashion before falling at the final hurdle to Dakota Kai. It's fast paced, engaging fun as you start to feel for Blackheart as she runs through Deonna Purazzo, Xia Li, Aliyah and Kayden Carter with a mixture of senton bombs and cool submissions. She makes Li tap out to one which looks great, Li sat upright and she bridges over her head from the rear and locks her arms to pull on her shoulder blades. Move of the week contender. Looks sick.
She plays off her tiredness and then desperation as she struggles with final entrant Kai. She is beaten down before making a mini comeback as she suicide dives to take out Kai and her pal Gonzalez on the outside and wolf howls in approval (why not, was pretty cool). It's not enough though as Kai wins it with a Go To Kick and will enter the #1 contender ladder match next week to challenge either Rhea Ripley or Charlotte Flair for the NXT title after Wrestlemania. The match was a great watch and well booked as Blackheart got to be the impressive underdog who almost runs through the whole gauntlet of women before just falling short. A showcase for her and a really good match to boot.
- Kushida vs Joaquin Wilde is the penultimate match and it's a great, albeit short piece of technical wrestling that I would have liked to have gone longer. The two guys are awesome, especially Kushida, demonstrating quick chain wrestling and some nice reversals before Kushida wins it with an armbar. Enjoyable display of two quality technical wrestlers who both know what they are doing. Like I said, was just a bit short. Hopefully we'll see the two in a longer match somewhere down the road and get a lot more of Kushida as a whole.
Hang on though. Wilde is being interviewed in the parking lot after and is suddenly grabbed by masked men in a passing car and seemingly abucted! Maybe we won't get another match at all!. Who knows when we'll see Wilde again. If he never comes back at least he went out on a good match....
- Main Event time now and its a big one, a Triple Threat for the North American Championship as Keith Lee defends against Damian Priest and Dominik Dijakovic. The three big men start slow with three big stare downs before starting to move up the gears with a really impressive array of double moves such as a spin kick variation on a Doomsday Device by Priest to Lee on Dom's shoulders, and a huge double chokeslam to Lee not long after.
The guys put a lot of effort in as the big moves keep coming with a Priest somersault to the outside taking out both his opponents, a Priest top rope hurricanrana to Lee and a double kick by Priest and Dom to each other seeing them both pass out onto a prone Lee for a close double two count. The move of the match though is a super impressive powerbomb by Lee as he slams Priest onto Dom's back an incredible 4 TIMES! Needless to say Priest is huge and Lee must be ridiculously strong to execute this. Amazing.
Time to wrap it up but not before Dom hits a top rope corkscrew splash onto Lee's head and Priest tries a nightstick attack on Dom before being shoved out of the ring leading to Lee winning with a Big Bang Catastrophe, pinning Dom to retain. A quality triple threat main event as the big guys put a lot of effort in with a tonne of huge spots. They're obviously shattered afterwards and it's no wonder. Great, really well worked match.
3 Count (3 points of interest)
1. The Triple Threat main event. Some amazing, huge spots by some amazing, huge men. Great watch.
2. 6 women's gauntlet. Blackheart = Amazing performance. Show's MVP
3. Kushida/Wilde. Fantastic technical wrestling while it lasted.
Ring the Bell (show recommendation?)
Would actually recommend this week's NXT. A great main event and two really good matches in the women's gauntlet and the Kushida/Wilde contest. Solid opener and an intriguing coked up serial killer with a moustache too. What more do you want? Overall, nothing that bad on the show, fun, easy watch with some great wrestling. Check it out.
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