BRM Reviews the 1/15/2020 NXT

[Big Red Machine]

No Nigel on commentary tonight.

OPENING SEGMENT- very good
Keith Lee comes out and cuts a great promo talking about how Undisputed Era has peaked and their fall will begin with him winning the North American Title from Roderick Strong next week. UE came out attacked Lee. He mostly fought them off on his own but was felled by a chair to the back of the knee, and was then put down with a Pillmanizer. Tommaso Ciampa came out too late to make the save, but at least managed to stop UE from doing anything more to Lee. Where was Matt Riddle?

Balor vs. Gargano has been booked for TakeOver: Portland.

TEGAN NOX PROMO TAPED EARLIER TODAY- meh segment
This was her first time back at Full Sail since being turned on by Dakota Kai. Her promo was quickly interrupted by Candice LeRae running up to her and doing that squealing, jumping hug that teenage girls do when they haven’t seen each other in a week. We never got an answer to the question she was asked about Dakota Kai.

DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CLASSIC QUARTERFINAL MATCH: Mark Andrews & “Flash” Morgan Webster vs. the Broserweights (Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne)- 8/10
Mauro immediately reminds us that last year’s DRTTC was won by the makeshift team of Aleister Black & Ricochet, so we wouldn’t count the Broserweights out. He then balanced this good commentary out by incorrectly saying that Andrews & Webster were the “inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions.” They were the second champs. The Grizzled Young Veterans were the inaugural champs.
This was an AWESOME match, with Riddle and Dunne playing the structural role of the heels against the smaller team. Mauro was nice enough to give Andrews & Webster an out for their loss by reminding us that they were in brutal ladder match just three days ago.

IMPERIUM PROMO AFTER GETTING JUMPED BY UNDISPUTED ERA AT TAKEOVER: BLACKPOOL II- This was pretty much all in German so I didn’t understand it, but WALTER sure sounded angry.

CATHY KELLEY GIVES US AN UPDATE ON KEITH LEE’S CONDITION- Her update is that he is still being looked at by the trainer, and she hopes to have a real update for us later… but at this point, next week’s title match is clearly in jeopardy.

TOMMASO CIAMPA CALLS OUT ADAM COLE FOR A FIGHT- GREAT!
Ciampa cut a great promo tying together UE’s attack on Lee earlier tonight and their attack on Velveteen Dream months ago. He says that they clearly have a hit-list… but so does he, and Adam Cole is the first name on it (I, personally, still believe that Johnny Gargano’s name is on the bottom of that list, but written in all caps, circled, and underlined). He demanded that Cole come out and give him his title match right now. Cole came out… along with the rest of Undisputed Era. Ciampa put up a good fight, but just like Lee, the numbers game overwhelmed him. Unlike with Lee, though, this time someone came out to make the save before any major damage was done… and that someone was Johnny Gargano. The fans all chanted DIY, and they hit their old finisher.

After a commercial break, they showed a Tweet from Trent Seven, who is apparently watching live. He says that if DIY are back together then Moustache Mountain wants to face them at Worlds Collide 2020.

DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CLASSIC QUARTERFINAL MATCH: Time Splitters vs. Grizzled Young Veterans- 7/10
GYZ get the win, with Shelley taking the loss. I wasn’t expecting GYZ to win this one. Zack Gibson cut a long, pointless, Zack Gibson promo after the match.

ROBERT STONE & CHELSEA GREEN PROMO- I’m sorry… I just don’t understand why I’m supposed to be excited about Chelsea Green. She’s solid, sure, but she is in no way someone who jumps out at me the way a lot of the other women on the roster (and especially the non-homegrown ones) do.

TYLER BREEZE VIDEO PACKAGE- filler

FINN BALOR CUTS A PROMO WHILE WATCHING FOOTAGE OF ILJA DRAGUNOV- fine
They’re wrestling at Worlds Collide. That should be a great match.

WINNER ADVANCES TO THE NXT CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH AT WORLDS COLLIDE 2020: Tyler Breeze vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Lio Rush- 6.75/10
Cruiserweight Champion Angel Garza joined Mauro and Beth on commentary for this match. He is defending his title in a Fatal Four-Way at Worlds Collide because he says he’s too good for just one opponent. The wrestlers did many spots and flips. It was relatively exciting.

CATHY KELLEY INTERVIEWS RHEA RIPLEY- good. She is not worried about facing Toni Storm at Worlds Collide, or about facing whoever wins tonight’s battle royale at TakeOver: Portland.

CATHY KELLEY INTERVIEWS JOHNNY GARGANO… AND TOMMASO CIAMPA, WHO SHOWS UP TO THANK JOHNNY FOR SAVING HIM- good
They agree to reform DIY to take on Moustache Mountain.

A COMMOTION APPEARS FROM OFF-SCREEN- TERRIBLE!
It’s Keith Lee. Not only is he walking around and throwing security left and right, but he ISN’T EVEN SELLING THE PILLMANIZER AT ALL. Well… that totally kills one of the best “put someone out for weeks” spots in wrestling.

BATTLE ROYALE TO DETERMINE THE #1 CONTENDER TO THE NXT WOMEN’S TITLE AT TAKEOVER: PORTLAND- 7.5/10
Kazy Catanzaro is back! But there is no joy in Mudville this day, for Might Kacy was thrown out.
Tegan Knox was predictably eliminated by the interfering Dakota Kai, but I have to ask how Vanessa Bourne got into this match while Dakota Kai wasn’t booked. Not having Dakota in here felt like a contrived reason Tegan not being able to get her hands on her yet.
Shotzi Blackheart got the big spot of eliminating Shayna Baszler. Why did we waste this on Shotzi Blackheart instead f the debuting (and much more talented) Mercedes Martinez?
The final two were Bianca Belair and Io Shirai, who had a pretty great little segment together. As far as battle royales go, this one was pretty damn great.


Another great episode of NXT, although the way they totally blew it with the Keith Lee angle definitely brings it down a bunch.

[KILLdozer]

Several things on the Women's Battle Royale-so much, it's pretty much the whole entire thing-

Mercedes Martinez debuted in Nxt years ago, and if you're counting other stuff she was in both MYC I'm pretty sure. How did Vanessa Bourne get in there? How did everyone who's not a part of the 3, 4, or 5 they feature every week get in? They clearly just found whoever they had as extras because they had so many spots to fill but only use so few on Television routinely as actual wrestlers that matter. So many of them haven't been seen in ages. Especially, and I Can't remember her new updated name "Ember Moon Jr.", formerly Laci Lane.

She might be slightly quicker and slimmer, with a lighter complexion, but that's all she is.

More Bianca Belair? Please, fuck no. Plus double to her being in title matches. We've seen her lose them over and over but only to a previous champion. Io Shirai was definitely someone who would feel better as a heel challenger, and save us having to hear more ghetto bratty cliches from Belair again. Not even sure why we needed so many extra contenders/competitors here.

Sure, some did provide useful things and all...but still.