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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: Sports, TV, USA Network, WWE | Tagged: Bron Breakker, halloween havoc, NXT, NXT 2.0, NXT Championship, NXT Halloween Havoc, NXT Recaps, recaps, tommaso ciampa, wrestling, wwe
NXT 2.0 Recap For 10/19: Next Tuesday's Halloween Havoc Is Set!
Hey gang! We are on the last stop on the road to NXT Halloween Havoc tonight and it's the brand's last chance to set things up for the show, which will be live on the USA Network next Tuesday night. The big matches all appear ready to roll, but there's always room for more, right? We will find out tonight on NXT 2.0!
We kick things off with the new NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes, who hits the ring with Trick Williams. Good arrogant heel promos from both men here as they brag about Hayes's surprise title win last week. Hayes declares the North American title the new "A" championship on NXT but is interrupted by a returning Johnny Gargano, who introduces himself to Hayes by challenging him to a match for his North American title.
Williams and Hayes insult Indi Hartwell to him, but Dexter Lumis appears behind them and puts Williams in the Silencer as they clear the ring.
Odyssey Jones vs Andre Chase
A grudge match here stemming from Chase's costing Jones a win last week. A pretty standard and quick big man babyface vs smaller heel match here. Eventually, Jones scoops slams Chase and hits him with a running Frog Splash for the win.
Winner: Odyssey Jones
We now go to a backstage promo from Malcolm Bivens and Diamond Mine, where he says they're no longer asking for opportunities and will instead just take them.
The Creed Brothers vs Imperium
Now here's an interesting match-up of two powerhouse tag teams and on free TV! Great technical work mixed with speed and strength is on display from both teams here as these two are very evenly matched.
The Creed Brothers continue to impress here in this match. It really is like watching two young and raw Brock Lesnars every time they're in the ring.
Kushida and Ikemen Jiro run to ringside and start brawling with the rest of Diamond Mine, which distracts Julius Creed and allows Barthel to roll him up for a pinfall, though Creed clearly kicks out near the three.
Winners: Imperium
After the match, the Creeds join their faction at the stage to brawl with Jiro and Kushida until the refs separate them. As Imperium poses in the ring, MSK jumps them from behind and is surprisingly met with huge boos from the crowd and a chant of "you suck!"
MSK then challenges Imperium for an NXT Tag Team title match next week at Halloween Havoc.
Now we go to a video of Kyle O'Reilly and Von Wagner doing outdoor stuff together and bonding in the woods like "real men"! They run through the woods carrying tree branches and chop down some other trees. They then cap things off at night with a fire and some beers, where they decide to become a team. I can't be sure, but I think this is how The Road Warriors got together too, though with more illegible screaming and some face paint.
Next, we have a video promo from Joe Gacy in some room where he lectures that violence solves nothing and says that he has empathy for the disenfranchised. He continues that he's starting a coalition of like-minded individuals and asks someone to take his hand. We then see Harland's hand reach towards his, but on the other side of glass and it appears he's in jail. Gacy ends things by telling him "follow me, little snowflake".
We now head back to the ring, where Legado del Fantasma is waiting. Santos Escobar, where he calls Carmelo Hayes a "lucky son of a bitch" for walking out last week with the NXT North American title. He promises that his luck will run out and then sets up Elektra Lopez for her match next.
Cora Jade vs Elektra Lopez
Pretty much a total squash here with Lopez all over Jade. A minute or two in on the beating though, Jade reverses into a roll-up to get a pinfall over Lopez, even though she clearly kicks out before the three count. So that's two in a row now of literally the same exact finish, intentional or not. Even the commentators are trying to make excuses for this one. Very sloppy.
Winner: Cora Jade
We now head backstage for an interview with the number one contender Bron Breakker and his partner for tonight, NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa. They're asked if they can co-exist tonight and Breakker tells Ciampa to watch himself. Ciampa responds that he's just going to follow Breakker's lead.
Triple Threat Match – Io Shirai vs Persia Pirotta vs Jacy Jayne
A three-way dance between one member of each of the teams that will face-off for the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship next week at Halloween Havoc. The winner here gets to spin the wheel to determine what kind of match it will be next week.
Alright, so let's get right to the moment that will be talked about here. Pirotta is dumped to the outside and Jayne is set up for a Suicide Dive through the middle rope to the outside… but that doesn't quite happen. Jayne doesn't seem to get the necessary propulsion and catches her feet on the middle rope and just lands hard on her chin on the floor outside the ring. Pirotta does the right thing immediately and dives on top of her, but is actually checking her to see if she's ok.
I know these dives to the outside have become as common in a modern match as a vertical suplex, but it's not a move you should be doing unless you're 110% sure you know exactly how to pull it off and have the sixth sense necessary to leap from the right spot on the mat and not get caught in the ropes. Otherwise, that's a recipe for a broken neck.
Wade Barrett just instinctually yells out "horrible!" after the landing and then tries to cover it by talking about it being a nasty landing, but you know he was just letting it roll there.
After Shirai distracts for a couple of moments on the ring apron (so the ref can get the ok signal), it appears Jayne is fine to finish the match and Shirai hits a beautiful Moonsault to the outside on her opponents.
Shirai then goes and checks Jayne, before she heads to work on Pirotta. In the background, we see the ref on the floor with Jayne so maybe she's not doing so great after all. We see her keep trying to get to her feet and falling back down as a medic runs over to her.
Shirai and Pirotta bring it into the ring now as Jayne gets attention from now two medics on the floor outside. We are told by commentary that Jayne has now been removed from the match and it's now a singles match.
The final two actually have a very solid bout from here until the end, with Pirotta in particular showing off some serious power skills and controlling most of the offense. But Shirai is arguably the best wrestler in the world today and works it back, eventually hitting a big German Suplex and then the top rope Asai Moonsault for the pinfall and the win.
Winner: Io Shirai
After the match, Shirai spins the wheel and it eventually lands on a "Scareway To Hell" Ladder Match.
We now head backstage, where Legado del Fantasma is beating the hell out of Trey Baxter and backing Cora Jade up to a wall. Briggs and Jensen then start brawling with Legado to make the save, as officials and refs flood in to try and break it all up.
Next, we head to the docks to find our legitimate businessman friend Tony D'Angelo as he cuts another promo, this time talking about his family's tradition of getting the job done, all while standing next to a car trunk that sounds like someone is inside.
We get another video teaser for Solo Sikoa now where he's again talking about street fighting and we see him actually fighting a street light. In the end, we learn that he will make his NXT debut at Halloween Havoc next week.
Next, we head to the men's bathroom, where Ikemen Jiro sneaks up on Kushida at the urinal and screams at him, scaring him mid-piss. He tells Kushida that he's excited to fight side by side with him and that they will crush Diamond Mine together. Kushida says if they are a team, he must be "style strong" like him, but Jiro says no and opens up Kushida's bag and helps him put on his Marty McFly jacket and sunglasses. They agree to go "back to the future" and a strong blue light glows on them.
Tony D'Angelo vs Ru Feng
Another strong showing for D'Angelo here, who again in this match shows he has the charisma and skills to be a star in WWE. It's another quick one, as D'Angelo hits a Northern Lights Suplex into a Fisherman's Neckbreaker for the pinfall.
Winner: Tony D'Angelo
After the match, D'Angelo is interviewed in the ring about his potential involvement in the disappearance of the producer of Lashing Out With Lash Legend. D'Angelo nails this segment on the mic, rolling out some classic gangster movie lines and playing to the crowd. This guy has talent folks.
Next, we go to Duke Hudson's Poker Room, where he defeats two opponents and cuts a promo bragging about being "the house" and "the house always wins". Another guy to watch who just has a natural charisma and all the makings of a star for WWE.
Briggs & Jensen's music plays, but they don't come out. The camera heads backstage, where we see Legado del Fantasma beat them with chairs and strut out to the ring past them.
Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs Legado del Fantasma
We come back from a commercial break to find a tag team match underway between the two teams who have been at each other's throats tonight.
Legado has the advantage early on against their opponents, who they just hit with steel chairs minutes ago. But the two tough brawlers get back into it through strength alone. There's some outside the ring fighting and some shenanigans from Escobar. Ultimately though, Wilde and Mendoza are too much for them and hit their double team running kick/Russian Leg Sweep for the pinfall.
Winners: Legado del Fantasma
We now get a video package detailing the battle between NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez and Mandy Rose ahead of their title match next week at Halloween Havoc.
We get another black and white video of an unknown woman at a graveyard dumping WWE memorabilia into a grave and burying it, promising we'll see who this is next week at NXT Halloween Havoc.
Next, we find Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes in the locker room looking through the lockers to find Hayes's missing NXT North American title belt. They see a glowing locker and open it up to find Halloween decorations and a picture drawn by Dexter Lumis, telling them to meet him and Johnny Gargano at a certain house next week during Halloween Havoc.
Grayson Waller vs LA Knight
A match to determine the host of Halloween Havoc on next week's NXT 2.0.
An ok fast-paced (and quick) match here that Waller controls a decent amount of. But the veteran Knight plants him with the BFT for the pinfall to officially become the host of Halloween Havoc next week.
Winner: LA Knight
Tommaso Ciampa & Bron Breakker vs Grizzled Young Veterans
A solid main event here from three veterans and a big up-and-comer. Breakker and Ciampa do some great storytelling throughout here, really playing up the distrust and tension between them. This allows GYV to take control of the match, as it's a handicap match against Ciampa for much of it with Ciampa refusing to tag Breakker.
Misunderstandings happen and things almost get physical between Breakker and Ciampa, but Breakker stays focused on the match and locks Drake in the Steiner Recliner before it's broken by Gibson. Breakker rids the ring of him and hits Drake with the Gorilla Press into a Powerslam for the pinfall.
Winners: Tommaso Ciampa & Bron Breakker
After the match, Ciampa and Breakker have an intense staredown ahead of their NXT title match next week at Halloween Havoc, as NXT 2.0 ends.
Tonight was solid enough and pretty focused like last week's episode. It helps when there's a big event to be working towards and shaping feuds that are leading to a payoff ahead, so that has worked in NXT's favor the past two weeks.
Next week is the NXT Halloween Havoc event live on Tuesday at 8 pm in the normal NXT 2.0 timeslot on the USA Network.
Till next time friends!
10/19 NXT 2.0
7/10
Like last week's show, this show was largely wrestling-focused from beginning to end and seemed to be pretty on point with very little silly stuff. While again too short, the matches were all fine to good and even the major botch and injury in the women's Triple Threat match didn't derail it altogether, as Io Shirai and Persia Pirotta put on a good show after the accident made it a singles match.
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