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June 28th, 2017 On commentary tonight, at Full Sail University, are “Showtime” Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness and, making his debut, Mauro Ranallo. Opening Segment Singles Match: Velveteen Dream vs. Ho Ho Lun From the opening grapple, Dream’s height and reach advantage are crystal clear. He forces Lun into the corner. Lun pushes his way out only to receive a beckoning call from Dream to come closer. Side headlock by Dream on Lun. He’s very actively wrenching it in. Lun reverses it, gets thrown off the ropes and strikes Dream with kicks and punches. Dream replies with a big boot to Lun’s face. Dream blocks a suplex attempt and lifts Lun in a standing vertical suplex with plenty of hangtime in the air. He ascends the turnbuckle for the high-risk elbow drop. It’s a 1-2-3 victory for the rookie. Winner: Velveteen Dream via pinfall in 2 minutes Post-match, Dream kicks Lun out of the ring so he can celebrate. One cool point for another dominant Velveteen Dream performance. He’s looking good in these short matches and I’d be pleased to continue seeing them. There’s no need to rush him up the ladder too quickly where he’ll get lost in the mix of stars needing major feuds (Black, McIntyre, Jose, Itami). Coming Up:Last Woman Standing Match for the nXt Women’s Championship: Asuka (c) vs. Nikki Cross Earlier today, Asuka is texting on her phone in the car near Full Sail when Cross jumps up on the hood of the car. Cross tries to get in the car. Asuka slams the door on her as FSU security hold Cross back from fighting Asuka. Asuka exits the car and looks on at the struggling Cross. We see footage of Asuka training, practicing her kicks. Recap: 3 weeks ago, we see Itami’s match with Oney Lorcan and how he continued to deliver GTS finishers to Lorcan until the referee had to stop the match. The two of them will have their rematch up next. Second Segment Backstage, we see nXt General Manager William Regal, flanked on either side of his office desk by Heavy Machinery, on the left, and nXt Tag Team Champions, Authors of Pain with Paul Ellering, on the right. Regal says there will be no altercations here. He announces, in two weeks, the biggest match in nXt history, that the Authors will defend the titles against Heavy Machinery. Knight and Dozovic leave and Ellering pokes fun at where Regal found those guys. Regal defends the team saying they are very formidable opponents. Singles Match: Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan Explosive European uppercut by Lorcan to start the match. Cross chops from Lorcan drive Itami against the turnbuckle and the referee waves him away. Itami’s been busted open and he’s dazed, sitting on the bottom turnbuckle. WWE trainers are in the ring, assessing the damage Lorcan has done. Itami motions for Lorcan to come at him but the referee calls for the bell. This match is stopping due to injury. Itami walks to the back, leaving Lorcan standing alone in the ring. Fans cheer him on for what he did. No contest Next Week:nXt Championship match: Bobby Roode defends against Roderick Strong Promo: A combination of in-ring and interview footage of Roderick Strong is shown. It includes some clips from the promos, earlier this spring, where Strong shared his upbringing. On the return, Itami has come back to the ring and is calling for Lorcan. I guess this match may re-start. Sure enough, Lorcan’s music hits and he comes stomping out to continue the fight. Restart of Singles Match: Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan Itami connects with an explosive big boot to Lorcan’s face. He hangs Lorcan over the top rope and kicks Lorcan in the chest. He ascends the turnbuckle and crashes down on Lorcan with a knee to the head. Itami’s all business here. He charges Lorcan who’s resting in the corner but Lorcan defends with a few elbows. Lorcan sits up on the turnbuckle and Itami rushes him with a forearm to the face, knocking him to the apron, and then the floor below. Itami boasts to the crowd as… We go to commercial break. They’re trading slaps and kicks when we return. Running European uppercuts from Lorcan, followed by a blockbuster. He covers Itami for a 2 count. He continues with uppercuts in the corner but the referee waves him off. This allows Itami to bait Lorcan in for more punishment. He lifts Lorcan up and drops him neck first on the top rope. This stuns Lorcan and gives Itami time to get to the top rope for a diving clothesline. 1-2- kickout from Lorcan. Itami calls for his finisher. Lorcan clocks Itami with forearms but it doesn’t phase Itami. He lifts Lorcan for a GTS but Lorcan drops down and then tweaks his right knee, falling to the canvas. The referee asks if he wants to continue. Lorcan pushes him off. Itami seizes Lorcan and drops him with the GTS. 1-2-3. Winner: Hideo Itami via pinfall in 5 minutes Post-match, Itami gets on the mic and asks for Kassius Ohno to come out. Ohno does just that and the two jaw at each other off-mic. Suddenly, Nikki Cross is at ringside, waving her hands and that brings in Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain, who attack Ohno and Itami. They drop the two of them and clear the ring. Wolfe lies on his side, picking up the mic, and basically promotes chaos. He calls Dain his undefeated friend. He says Eric Young is away working on his master plan and Wolfe can’t wait to hear it. The first note will be played by Cross. She gets quite animated, shouting and yelling and writhing. One cool point for Lorcan’s European uppercuts which are some of the stiffest and fastest striking moves I’ve ever witnessed. Such a hard hitter. I love his energy. One cool point for Itami’s mean streak. He matched Lorcan hit for hit and looked tough in the process. One cool point for SAnitY’s unexpected interference at the end of that segment. Wolfe was decent enough on the mic. Cool segue into introducing Cross for her major championship match. Final Segments nXt Last Woman Standing Women’s Championship Match: Asuka (c) vs. Nikki Cross (of SAnitY) Play-by-play adapted from match results by www.pwmania.com The bell rings and Nikki gets up from her seated position. They lock up and push each other away. They do it again. Asuka misses a round kick and they lock up again. Nikki runs Asuka into the corner and connects with her shoulders. Asuka with forearms and kicks against the ropes, followed by a back heel kick. Nikki with a cross body and she punches Asuka. Asuka with a running kick to the temple and she goes for a baseball slide. Nikki pulls out the ring skirt to counter Asuka and she connects with punches and forearms. Nikki looks under the ring and she pulls out some chairs as… We go to commercial. We are back and Nikki tries to suplex Asuka onto the chairs but Asuka blocks it. Asuka tries to suplex Nikki onto the chairs and Nikki blocks it. Nikki sends Asuka into the ring steps and they let the chairs go unscathed for now. The referee starts his count but Nikki picks up Asuka and Asuka Irish whips Nikki into the ring steps. The referee starts his count but Nikki gets up. Asuka slams Nikki’s head into the ring steps and connects with a forearm to the back. Asuka sends Nikki back into the ring and Asuka gets a trash can from under the ring. Asuka throws the trash can into the ring and she throws it away from Nikki. Asuka hits Nikki with the trash can and then she puts it over Nikki’s upper body. She kicks the trash can from each side. Asuka goes to the turnbuckles and hits a missile drop kick. The referee starts his count on Nikki. Nikki is back up and Asuka with knees and a kick to the back of the head. Asuka gets chairs and throws them into the ring. Nikki and Asuka play tug of war with a chair and Nikki sends Asuka into the guardrails. Nikki flies off the apron and is met with a knee to the head. Asuka sends more chairs into the ring and then she kicks Nikki in the leg. Asuka throws every chair she can get her hands on. They fight to the apron and Nikki stops Asuka with a shoulder to the midsection. Asuka replies with forearms but Nikki hits her with a reverse DDT onto the apron. Nikki adjusts the chairs in the ring while Asuka gets back to her feet. Nikki with forearms to the head and back of the head. Nikki goes to the turnbuckles but Asuka gets to her feet to stop Nikki. Nikki pushes Asuka off but Asuka with a spinning heel kick and then Asuka press slams Nikki onto the chairs. Nikki with a belly-to-back suplex onto the chairs. Both women are down as… We go to commercial break. We are back and Asuka kicks Nikki in the chest but Nikki wants more as she laughs and smiles at Asuka. Asuka has a spinning back fist blocked and Nikki with a neck breaker. Asuka gets up and she misses a round kick. Nikki with a head butt to the midsection followed by forearms and then she hits a swinging fisherman’s neck breaker and the referee starts his count. Nikki with a second swinging fisherman’s neck breaker and she holds on for another one. Nikki hits a fourth one and the referee counts…he gets to 8.5 before Asuka’s up. Nikki takes the title belt and she charges at Asuka but Asuka round kicks her and Nikki is down so the referee starts his count. Nikki is back up and Asuka hits her with a spinning back heel kick and Nikki goes down again as the referee counts to 7 when Nikki leans against the ropes to support herself. Nikki gets back to her feet and Asuka charges at her and Asuka goes to the apron when Nikki moves. Asuka tries to suplex Nikki to the floor onto a pile of chairs but she holds on and blocks it. Nikki drops Asuka on the top rope, neck-first. Asuka’s lying on the apron when Nikki drops to the floor and sets for a power bomb….she slams Asuka right onto the chairs!! Nikki lays on the apron while the referee makes his count but Asuka gets back to her feet at nine and Nikki is in shock. Nikki and Asuka fight up the ramp and Asuka tries for a German suplex off the ramp. Asuka knocks Nikki off the ramp, the right side near the announcers’ table, with a forearm and then Asuka with a hip attack off the ramp onto Nikki as the referee starts his count on Nikki. Nikki is able to get to her feet again. We’re still going, folks! Asuka misses a round kick on Nikki and a light shatters. Asuka holds her ankle and the referee starts his count. Nikki picks up Asuka to break the count and she hits a hanging swinging neck breaker on to the mat in front of the announce table. The referee counts to 9 and, again, Asuka is back on her feet, fighting to stay in the match. Asuka hits Nikki with a spinning back fist. Nikki hits Asuka with a ladder in the midsection. Nikki sees a table and slams Asuka’s head onto it. Nikki moves the fold-up table into a better position and Nikki slams Asuka’s head onto the table. Nikki sets up the ladder, to the left of the nXt announce table, and puts Asuka on the fold-up table. Nikki with forearms to keep Asuka on the table. Nikki climbs the ladder but Asuka grabs her foot briefly before climbing the other side of the ladder. Asuka with a forearm and then she superplexes Nikki off the ladder through the announce table!!! Crowd goes nuts for this. Both ladies are laid out. The announcers have vacated the area and the referee is counting… Asuka starts to stir at eight and she gets to her feet at nine as the referee counts Nikki out. Asuka collapses after the bell is rung. Winner, and still nXt Women’s Champion: Asuka via TKO in 19 minutes Post-match, Cross is smiling in pain as she lies on the floor. Asuka celebrates on the stage to end the show. Two cool points for both ladies being the first women to fight this match in nXt history. It was an engaging match with plenty of hard-hitting action and multiple count-out opportunities. An extra cool point for the offense Cross utilized tonight, with my favourite combo being the multiple swinging neck breakers and powerbomb off the apron on to the chairs at ringside. She hurt Asuka tonight but, ultimately, she gave Asuka too much time to recover by setting up that ladder stage-side. She should have kept up the intensity and repetition of her attack. An extra cool point for Asuka keeping her undefeated streak going. Cross is a formidable opponent for the champion and Asuka had to exert a significant effort to win. She’s proven herself in this match type. What’s next for her? Or who? Looking forward to your thoughts, cool point suggestions, and comments. Peace!
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