WWE NXT 3/24/2021

WWE NXT 3/24/2021

Last week show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/wwe-nxt-3172021.html 

NXT's two night Takeover is in two weeks. Expect a lot of build for that.

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez vs Zoey Stark and Io Shirai

RG yells at Zoey early, saying she's not stronger than her. Zoey hits a bad headscissors early and runs up the buckles to knee RG. RG lifts up Kai for double stomp on Stark. Io limbos out of a kick then dropkicks Kai. Stark throws down Kai hard then sliding lariats her for 2.

Stark goes for an up and over in the corner and gets caught but headscissors RG down. RG throws Stark, but not as far as she wanted to and Stark catches a kick on the way down. Zoey was worked over during the break then she made the hot tag to Io, who beat up on the heels. Zoey hits a big springboard dropkick on RG then plancha's her. Kai and RG then both get thrown into the post. Io then comes off the top with a moonsault to the outside on RG. Zoey goes for the 450 but RG moves then one arm powerbombs her. RG then picks her up again and kicks Io off the apron before powerbombing her for the win.

I wasn't really into this one. It had a little bit of sloppiness as customary, I don't really buy either team and I don't think Stark is ready for thge push she is getting. Had Io been in there more than Zoey I think it would have been better.

Io and RG argue with each other in the ring and RG boots Io in the face after a distraction from Kai. RG then powerbombs her on the table which doesn't even budge.

We were shown video of Kyle O'Reilly practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Adam Cole coming into the dojo to attack him. I have no idea why but I found this hilarious. I like the idea of Adam Cole showing up when he's at the bakery or at the laundromat and calling him stupid and challenging him to fights.

Kyle O'Reilly arrives in the back with security guards. Strong comes up to him and says we need to kick his butt. Kyle says this is between him and Cole and Strong is disappointed by this. He then says both of them can go to hell in an interesting segment.

LA Drake is caught in the back. He said he's giving Bronson Reed a whooping tonight for invading his locker room and ripping up his gear. He said this is LA Knight's game and he is the ruler of it.

Jrodan Devlin gets interviewed. He says his match doesn't need promoted because this is one of the biggest matches in NXT history. He said he likes and respects Kushida, but he is in the wrong place at the wrong time and he will be made an example of.

LA Knight vs Bronson Reed

Knight pokes Reed in the head and gets shouldered hard for it. Knight then takes a very high back body drop. Knight comes off the 2nd rope and is caught with a powerslam. Reed continues to dominate. Knight comes back with a slingshot shoulder block and pounds on him.

We went to break and during it, Reed got pushed into the post. Knight continues to control. Reed throws him onto the buckles and he bounces off with a neckbreaker. Reed comes back and hits a body block then splashes him in the corner. Reed then hits a spinning chokeslam. Reed goes up top and knocks Knight down as he tries to get him, then splashes him from the top for the win.
Whoa. Talk about a shocker here. Having Knight lose in his first competitive match is very odd as new people need to get wins to build credibility. Reed shouldn't have lost this either so the best way to handle it would have been just not to make the match. That's not what happened here though and this does not bode well for Knight's future here in NXT.

They announce that Danny Burch separated his shoulder last week and he will be vacating the NXT tag titles with Lorcan. He may be out for 6 months. The new champs will be determined in a 3 way match with MSK vs the Grizzled Young Vets vs Legado del Fantasma at NXT Takeover Night 1.

Karrion Kross with Scarlett vs Oney Lorcan

Oney goes at kross as smoke sits in the ring from Kross' entrance. Oney gets thrown over the top then is suplexed onto the floor. They go back in and Oney hits a nice flying kick and then gets wiped out with a lariat. Kross hits him with an exploder suplex. He ties up Oney and tells him he didn't regret hurting Burch and enjoyed hurting him.

Oney comes back with a single arm ddt, then he hits some nice chops and diving euro uppercut that knocks over Kross. Kross comes back with a Saito suplex then nails him with the forearm to the back of the head to win. Oney got protected here and held up better against Kross than a lot of other people. This wasn't a bad match at all and picked up after Kross told Oney he liked hurting Burch.

Kross gets on the mic after. He said he gave respect to a man who didn't appreciate it or deserve it in Finn Balor. He said there is no stopping what is coming next then Balor came out.

Finn said Kross took his best shot but he is still standing, then he walked over Oney. Finn said he became untouchable after he learned how to control his emotions. He said everything Kross does is a reaction and is emotional. He said that makes him vulnerable. He said he thinks Kross' emotions will master him at Takeover. He said his emotions will take him into the cold, deep water and it will drown him. I don't know how much I liked the material on this one, but the way Finn said it was good.

Regal announced that there wil be a 12 man battle royale next week. The last 6 will fight in a gauntlet on Night 1 of Takeover and the winner faces Gargano for the North American title on Night 2 of Takeover. This is overly complicated for no reason.

Kushida did a promo on Jordan Devlin. He said he is a good competitor, so he answered his challenge. He says he is the best technical wrestler in NXT.

Walter with Imperium vs Drake Maverick

Drake has no hope here. We are shown a video from yesterday with Drake threatening Imperium with a crowbar. Dain is missing and he thought they did something. Walter takes away his crowbar and they surround him but let him leave.

Walter nails him with a big powerbomb early and the ref stops it as he gets put in a single leg crab for the very quick win.

Tomasso Ciampa then comes out. They hinted a little while ago that Ciampa was interested in Walter. Ciampa gets in the ring. He says he wasn't interested in Walter but the NXT UK Title. He challenges him for the title at Takeover. Walter say something and tries to leave but he nails Walter then Imperium beats down Ciampa. Walter rips off his necklace and chops him hard. Walter kneels on him and holds the belt in his face.

Pete Dunne is in the back and says he is the best technical wrestler. He says he will dominate the battle royal next week and win Gargano's N-A title.

Robert Stone went up to Mercedez Martinez in the back. He said Jessi Kamea was injured tonight and Mercedez could become a tag champ if she subs for her and they win. MM gets handed an envelope. She says no deal as that is only half. She said she expects the other half after the match. Aliyah and Kamea aren't a credible team as they haven't won anything and MM and Aliyah are no better. The women's tag titles are not credible right now and this does little to help that.

Johnny Gargano is in the beck going into Regal's office. He is not happy with this Takeover announcement and says it is not fair as he needs more time to plan. Regal says if he is Johnny Takeover, he should be able to handle this and tells him to study the competitors.

WWE NXT Women's Tag Titles - Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs Aliyah and Mercedez Martinez

Ember headsscissors and forward sweeps MM early. Shotzi hits the hanging headscissors over the ropes on MM and Ember nails MM while she is in there. Shotzi does a top rope la silla and Stone gets on the apron. MM comes back with a big face kick.

MM botches a gorilla press into a backbreaker. MM holds up Shotzi then Aliyah facebusters her. Ember comes in and stiff MM with a forearm then hits a bunch of shots on Aliyah. Aliyah gets popped up into a powerbomb which MM breaks the pin on. Shotzi hits a ddt then Ember comes off the top with a cutter and wins it.

The right call would be not having this match, but Shotzi and Ember losing would have been awful. Maybe we will get an Aliyah vs MM match out of this.

Roderick Strong is in the back and Cameron Grimes comes in. He said UE doesn't have to end like this. He said UE should sell the name to him, and he could make some merch out of it. Strong decks Grimes as Grimes flips out.

Shotzi and Ember walk in the back. The Way comes up to them. They said they should look at them for competition. Ember said they have done this before and beaten them. LaRae said next time they will do it their way and it looks like we will get that next.

Kushida vs Jordan Devlin

Jordan hits a uranage and a standing moonsault early. Kushida hip tosses him into a dropkick. Kushida slides under JD on the apron then JD asai moonsaults him. We go a picture in picture break with Kushida being in control early then Devlin takes back over. Kushida hits a handspring back elbow and punches JD in the face to drop him.

Devlin comes back with a slingshot cutter for 2. Legado del Fantasma comes out as Devlin is up on the top. Kushida superplexes him and holds on for a suplex into an armbar. Wilde and Mendoza pull out Devlin and he is surrounded. LdF gets knocked off the apron and Devlin wins it in a lame ending.

Kushida then dives on LdF and beats them up. He dives off the stage onto them.

I wasn't that interested in this match.  It was a cold match without any build and it was odd for Kushida to lose here since thye have been protecitng him.

Santos Escobar and Jordan Devlin then argue in the ring. Shawn Michaels then comes out in a total surprise. Michaels then grabs a ladder and pushes it into the ring. They each hold their titles in each other faces with the ladder in between in a cool moment.

Michaels walks past Cole in the back and smirks.

William Regal comes out on the ramp with Cole and O'Reilly at a table with security guards. He said he won't have them embarass the company with their fights. He has a contract. He said they both have to sign it if they want to fight since Kyle is not medically cleared so that NXT isn't accountable.

Cole talks. He said imagine if you are born blind and then one day can see everything. He said he realized he didn't need UE anymore and UE was holding him back. Cole said he realized it was Kyle holding him back. Cole said Kyle lost his mind trying to get Finn to join UE and said Kyle is comnfortable being a lapdog. He said he will never sit on the sidelines. He said UE was never about friendship, it was about being the best. He said Kyle wouldn't have made it to WWE without him and said he lead the charge. He says UE without him is nothing and Kyle is nothing. Cole says everyone except Kyle knows who will win at Takeover.

Kyle said they were 4 pitbulls making a statement. Kyle said he has become a better perso nand human being but Cole is still the same @sshole who walked in here a few years ago. He said he sold his soul for UE and wants it back. He said Cole is insecure and uses his best friends. Kyle said no one will be surprised when he beats him and said he can finally sleep for the first time in 4 years. Cole tells him to sign the death warrant. Kyle throws a pen at him and the guards have to hold the two back from killing each other.

This was a good segment.

Overall thoughts: I didn't love this episode. Starting off the with the women isn't a great way to start the night. Knight and Kushida shouldn't have lost and the women's tag match didn't do any favors for the struggling division. Shawn Michaels appearing was nice though and the final segment was good.