WWE NXT 12/30/2020
I reviewed last week's show with pics and gifs here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/wwe-nxt-12232020.html
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs Bronson Reed
Scott goes for a triangle early and gets lifted up. Scott drops down and Reed rolls over his back. Reed did a shoulder off the apron and Scott did a major flip for it.
Scott dived at the leg and did a flying kick to the face. Scott did a euro uppercut off the 2nd rope. Scott did a forward roll into a flatliner. Scott tried to sunset flip Reed and Reed just sat on him and then splashed him soon after. Reed did a spinning chokeslam onto Scott. Reed had Scott up for a german but Scott got out and headbutted him. Reed then bodyblocked him hard and senton'd him.
Reed then won this with top rope splash in a pretty good match. Reed looked great here.
Shotzi Blackheart won Breakout Star of the Year.
We saw Gargano and Ruff arrive earlier. A black cat crossed Gargano's path and he said it was bad luck.
Breezango vs The Grizzled Young Veterans
Drake got ardrammed by Fandango early and Fandango turned a cool armdrag into a headlock.
They announced the Dusty Rhodes Classic would return in two weeks.
The Vets had control for a little but Fandango kind of made a hot comeback. The Vets got knocked outside by Breeze and Fandango jumped off one of the light stands, which really was a wasted spot. We went to break and the Vets were in control when we returned. The vets did a spot where Drake went to the outside while Gibson had Fandango in a kneebreaker that you will just have to see the gif to understand.
Gibson slammed Fandano onto the ropes where his knee purposely caught. Breeze got a comeback onto both Vets. He jumped to the floor on them, got neither and got double forearmed. Then Fandango did an odd dive onto them. The Vets won with a Ticket to Mayhem in what I thought was an odd match that didn't flow or make much sense.
Everrise came out and wanted a piece of the Vets. The female ref thankfully gave up and got out of there then Everise left too as The Vets were coming.
Undisputed Era won Tag Team of the Year. Cole said him and Strong would rep TUE in the Dusty Cup.
They walked towards the light with someone in a black hood and it said they would be here next week.
Mercedes Martinez vs Valentina Feroz
Feroz did some rolls and got slammed down. She then took a spinebuster and got overhead suplexed. Martinez won this one after with a slam on the side in a total squash.
She then said every woman was on her radar.
Io Shirai won Female Competitor of the Year
Io said the women's division was talented and said thanks for voting her in.
Adam Cole won Male Competitor of the Year. Cole said he would win it again and he did and said it will mean even more when Kyle wins the title next week.
Pete Dunne vs Roderick Strong
Strong went after Dunne hard to start and Dunne returned fire with kicks. Strong flipped Dunne on a fast clothesline and leg lariated him. Dunne went after the fingers. Dunne pushed Strong over the top with his legs and then Dunne step kicked him. Strong dropkicked Dunne through the ropes and he went over the rail.
We came back from a picture in picture break. Strong went hard chest first into the buckles then Dunne stretched him some on the mat. Strong hit an amazing dropkick on Dunne and got some more offense in.
Strong ran back and forth on the ropes with forearms to Dunne and backdropped him. Strong then backdropped him from the floor to the apron. Dunned turned a double underhook powerbomb into a triangle but then was powerbombed onto Strong's knee. Dunne then hit a Bitter End out of nowhere to win. This was rushed and not that great. They just went too fast without a lot of the strikes and time that could have made this great.
Finn Balor vs Kyle O'Reilly from NXT Takeover 31 won Match of the Year. I don't really like wrestling promotions bringing up this stuff because it alludes to wrestlers not trying to win but trying to have the best match.
Finn wouldn't take his award but said he would give Kyle's award to him personally.
Dunne and Balor ran into each other and I think Dunne said he wanted to face him for the title. Balor told him to get in line.
They did a great promo for the fight pit match next week with Ciampa vs Thatcher.
Balor said Kyle deserved the MOTY award and said he should come down, then he did.
Finn said his award was getting work done on his jaw after their match and that reminds him of their match all the time. Kyle said he didn't need the award either and it's a reminder that he came up short. Kyle talked about how he worked hard and really needed this. Finn said Kyle broke his jaw and he would make him pay.
They went face to face and Scarlett Bordeaux said the title belonged to them. She said their fate was sealed. Kross said doomsday is here and "tick tock". Then Damian Priest popped up behind him.
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"This is how you step like a man" - Damian Priest
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They went face to face and Scarlett Bordeaux said the title belonged to them. She said their fate was sealed. Kross said doomsday is here and "tick tock". Then Damian Priest popped up behind him and said "this is how you step like a man".
The brawled and went through the barricade, then through a drape. Both of them then fell trhough a table. Scarlett laughed throughout this as we went to a break. I really liked the brawl but I don't know why they gave this away before the big match.
Rhea Ripley said Raquel isn't the same person she used to be and that they were really good friends who got matching tattoos. she said Raquel got jealous of her success. It was a pretty good package that got me interested in the match.
Legado del Fantasma did a promo. Escobar said no one could compete with him and Regal couldn't find him challengers. Lucha House Party interrupted.
Dorado said Escobar didn't own lucha and lucha is for everyone and they jumped into the ring. The ref Drake Weurtz said this is a tag match.
Legado del Fantasma vs Lucha House Party
Metallik ran up the ropes assisted and then hurricanrana'd. Dorado hit an asai moonsault off the 2nd rope. Dorado hit a crossbody from the top and Metallik ran the middle rope into a dropkick. Metallik did a top rope hurricanrana and then Dorado hit a top rope splash. Dorado then assisted Metallik with an over the top hurricanrana on the floor.
Dorado hit a poisonrana and Metallik walked the top rope into an elbow for the win. This was quick and action packed.
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"Dude, you can't say the C-Word!" - Johnny Gargano
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Austin Theory won Future Star of the Year. He talked about how he was the future and how Theory would break the curse against Ruff, where Ruff keeps beating him. Gargano then threw the protein powder he gave Theory and it broke a mirror, which is more bad luck. He then walked under a ladder to have even more bad luck.
Io Shirai won the Overall Competitor of the Year Award.
WWE NXT North American Championship - Johnny Gargano (c) vs Leon Ruff
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"Can Johnny Gargano finally break the curse?" - Vic Joseph | "Oh come on, I finally won my NFL Fantasy Football after years of trying. That curse is over and so is the Gargano one." - Wade Barrett
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The finish
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Ruff did a bunch of kip-ups to start and armdragged Johnny. Ruff hurricanrana'd him and had control early. Ruff jumped up on the 2nd rope and took a big bump over the top.
Ruff got thrown into the barricades but jumped on top of it and hopped around before hitting a hurricanrana on Johnny. Johnny tope'd Ruff into the barricades.
We went to break which had picture in picture and when we came back Johnny was still in control. Johnny did a bow and arrow then stood up and yanked back. Ruff got some offense in and german suplexed Johnny on his head. Ruff hit a wild looking corkscrew cannonball in the corner.
Johnny lawn darted Leo into the middle buckle then teased a superkick, Leo covered up, so he stopped and then hit it. Gargano powerbombed him and put the Gargano escape on. They went outside and Ruff hit an apron cutter onto Johnny who was on the floor.
Johnny went up top and he ended up doing an alley oop to Ruff on top. Johnny then did an outside to inside DDT to win it and break the curse against Ruff. It had a lot of action and never really stopped. They didn't sell a lot like in every match and they probably did too much but it was still entertaining
We then saw drawings of the matches for next week's New Year's Evil which I am really looking forward to.
Overall thoughts: A good NXT. AEW probably had the better show, but I liked Reed's match a lot, I liked the Kross/Priest brawl and I liked the Gargano segments.
