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Our preview for tonight's WWE NXT on USA, where Chase U will defend the NXT Tag Team Titles against former champs Tony D'Angelo and Stacks.
Posted in: Review, Sports, TV, USA Network, WWE | Tagged: Bron Breakker, Dolph Ziggler, Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, NXT, NXT 2.0, NXT Stand and Deliver, recaps, Robert Roode, USA Network, Wrestlemania, wrestling, wwe
NXT 2.0 Recap 3/22: The Women's Dusty Cup Champions Are Crowned
The NXT Women's Division has been dominated by the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament for the past several weeks and now it has all finally come to its culmination with a finals match between the team of Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray taking on Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai. All that's left is to see which team will be crowned as this year's champions and earn their shot at the NXT Women's Tag Team titles against Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. Who will that team be? Let's take a look.
We open with the NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes arriving at the arena and hyping up the qualifying matches for his Ladder Match at Stand & Deliver.
Roderick Strong vs Solo Sikoa
A solid match to open the show here. Both guys give it their all and do all of the little things right. Eventually, Strong tries a Superplex, but Sikoa counters with a headbutt, sending Strong to the mat and allowing Sikoa to hit the Flying Splash for the pinfall to qualify for the North American title Ladder Match at Stand & Deliver.
Winner: Solo Sikoa
Next, we go to the locker room to find Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta arguing over a TMZ article about them.
Tony D'Angelo vs Dexter Lumis
An ok match with a really stupid ending here. They were having a good go of it, but then Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson get involved. Hudson distracts Lumis while D'Angelo tries to grab his crowbar, but Pirotta gets ahold of it, then D'Angelo gets it from her and nails Lumis in the face with it right in front of the ref, but allegedly the ref didn't see it and counts the pinfall for D'Angelo after he hits Lumis with the twisting Fisherman Suplex. Not well-done at all.
Winner: Tony D'Angelo
After the match, D'Angelo cuts a promo against Tommaso Ciampa, which he responds to by sneaking up behind D'Angelo and hitting him with a Fairytale Ending.
We now go to a backstage interview with Robert Roode and NXT Champion Dolph Ziggler, where Roode takes credit for building NXT into what it is today and creating opportunities for guys like Bron Breakker.
Elektra Lopez vs Fallon Henley
Not much to say about this one. It's mostly just Lopez ragdolling Henley around the ring for a few minutes, until Briggs & Jensen start brawling with Wilde & Mendoza at ringside and Henley gets a second wind then. Ultimately, she gets shut down by a Blue Thunder Bomb by Lopez for the pinfall.
Winner: Elektra Lopez
Next, we go to the locker room to find Draco Anthony telling Xyon Quinn about Joe Gacy stalking him.
Bron Breakker vs Robert Roode, with Dolph Ziggler
A pretty good heavyweight match here. Ziggler gets involved midway and gets tossed by the ref. Eventually, after much back and forth action and near-falls, Roode goes for a top rope Double Axe Handle, but Breakker reverses it into a Powerslam for the pinfall.
Winner: Bron Breakker
After the match, Breakker is making his way to the back and Ziggler hits him with a Superkick and taunts him with the title.
Next, we go to the locker room where Indi Hartwell is helping Dexter Lumis ice his head. They're interrupted by Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson, who taunt them for the loss. Hudson claims he can beat anyone on the roster, so Lumis goes over to an easel and draws a picture on Gunther. This was all really, really stupid.
Next, we go to Chase University, where Andre Chase and Bodhi Hayward lecture the class about Hayward facing Von Wagner next week.
Grayson Waller vs A-Kid
A very quick, but action-packed match here. Both guys can work quickly and that's what we got here. Waller ends it with the diving Stunner for the pinfall to qualify for the NXT North American title Ladder Match.
Winner: Grayson Waller
After the match, Carmelo Hayes announces that the final spot in the Ladder Match will be determined next week, when the losers of the qualifying matches face each other in a Triple Threat Match for the last spot. Trick Williams then insults A-Kid, who blasts him with an Enziguri and runs off.
We next go to Robert Stone lecturing Von Wagner backstage about Ikemen Jiro pissing him off.
The Creed Brothers vs Grizzled Young Veterans
Another pretty short match here, but both teams get their moments to shine. Brutus eventually puts it away with a low clothesline on Drake for the pinfall.
Winners: The Creed Brothers
After the match, we see video footage of some disguised duo destroying the Diamond Mine training room as the Creeds, Malcolm Bivens, and Ivy Nile watch from the ring.
Gunther vs Duke Hudson
This one only lasts a couple of minutes, as Gunther just hammers Hudson throughout. There's a couple of the chest slaps from him that are so loud, they actually have an echo in the arena and they leave immediate welts on Hudson's chest. Gunther eventually puts him away with the Powerbomb for the pinfall.
Winner: Gunther
After the match, Gunther cuts a promo on LA Knight, which brings out the man who is easily the most over with the NXT crowd right now. Gunther calls him a disgrace and says all he has is his trash-talk. Knight takes exception to Gunther interrupting him and threatens him for it.
Knight then challenges Gunther to a match at Stand & Deliver by taking a shot at Gunther. As Imperium dogpiles on Knight, MSK run in to even it up and they all chase Imperium from the ring.
Next, we get a video promo from Cameron Grimes where he speaks about his late father and how he must win the Triple Threat qualifying match next week.
Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray vs Wendy Choo & Dakota Kai – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals
Ok so, we have a tournament final we're supposed to be taking seriously and three of the four competitors involved are serious and giving it their all… and then there's Wendy Choo, who is continuing to do the comedy schtick and holy shit, does it stick out like a sore thumb here. She's using goofy offense, a pillow prop, and can't get a smile off of her face. All while everyone else in the match is busting their asses and looking like they're all-in to win. Really baffling how anyone thinks this works in this setting.
When they do actually focus on the objective at hand, it's good stuff and to be fair, Choo does abandon the comedy nonsense as the match goes further in. Eventually, Choo gets hit with a KLR Bomb by Ray and a top rope Moonsault by Shirai for the pinfall.
Winners and 2022 Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Champions: Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray
After the match as Shirai & Ray are celebrating with the trophy, Toxic Attraction enters the ring and taunts them that they won't win the NXT Women's Tag Team titles. Ray and Shirai turn it around on them though, saying they're cashing in their title opportunity by making the Women's title match at Stand & Deliver a Fatal Four-Way Match. Well, that makes no damn sense, but I guess management knew they couldn't trust a big title match to just Mandy Rose and Cora Jade to get over.
Anyway, they all start brawling and Jade runs in to get involved too and that's how NXT 2.0 ends. Kind of a middle of the road episode, as there were some good matches, but too much backstage nonsense, especially with all of the Hartwell/Pirotta crap that I don't think anyone cares about.
Till next time friends.
3/22 NXT 2.0
5/10
Some good matches throughout were undermined by too much backstage silliness and a genuinely uninteresting storyline with Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta dominating way too much screen time. The main event at Stand & Deliver is between Dolph Ziggler and Bron Breakker. That should dominate the screen time right now.
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