By Graham "GSM" Matthews Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder def. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady I assumed going in that we'd be getting a quick squash match from Amore and Cassady considering Dawson and Wilder have always been utilized in an enhancement role, but what we got instead was a rather competitive contest. Both teams looked good coming out of it and it was easily one of the more enjoyable tag team bouts I've seen in NXT in recent memory, which isn't saying much given how much work the division still needs. I was initially surprised to see Dawson and Wilder go over, but I liked the move as it established them as legitimate threats and might trigger a mini-feud between them in the meantime. Baron Corbin def. Jesse Sorenson Hey, I remember Jesse Sorenson! He was that guy from TNA who broke his neck and was unceremoniously fired before he could come back! That classy company, TNA is. In other news, it's another week with another Corbin squash. Yawn. Unless they plan to call him up to the main roster sooner rather than later as a member of The Wyatt Family (which I'm still skeptical about), I'm not sure what purpose these matches serve. We got a cool video package on Corbin several weeks back, but other than that, he has shown very little development as both a wrestler and character.
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By Graham "GSM" Matthews Cage def. The Mack in a Falls Count Anywhere Match I have to agree with the crowd on this one: Holy shit! For a feud that didn't have much build going into this bout, this was beyond awesome. Then again, I can't say I expected anything less when this match was first announced last week because both Cage and The Mack are incredible athletes. The stipulation was perfectly fitting of their similar styles, allowing them to take their heated brawl all over the arena and incorporate a number of sweet spots that included tables, trash cans and other extreme objects. The cinder block finish reminded me a bit too much of the Dean Ambrose/Seth Rollins angle from about a year ago, but it was good to see Cage go over strong to end the mini feud. The Disciples of Death def. Son of Havoc, Ivelisse and Angelico to Win the Trios Championships This was another match that, while it had some story behind it, was barely built toward, so I was pleasantly surprised by what we ended up getting. The early goings of the match were chaotic as all six-person tag team matches have been since the start and Angelico once again had the highlight of the match with his breath-taking dive off the top of one of the structures. The interaction between Ivelisse and Catrina was well done and her involvement protected the babyfaces in defeat. It also felt like a special moment because as the commentators mentioned, this was the first title change in Lucha Underground history (other than when the inaugural champions were crowned). Drago def. Hernandez in a Believers Backlash Match
While it wasn't the best wrestled match on the show, Drago carried Hernandez to a pretty good match and the visual of the fans (some planted and some real) whipping Hernandez with belts at ringside was amusing and kept things interesting. Hernandez was rarely on offense (other than that awesome Border Toss to the outside), which may have been by design since I believe he requested his release from the promotion. Drago was reestablished as a legitimate threat with this win and I'm excited to see what they have in store for him in the next season. Overall Show This was the perfect pre-show for Ultima Lucha next week as it wasn't akin the matches you'd see on a Kickoff Show before a WWE pay-per-view (i.e. King Barrett vs. R-Truth). Fans were treated to three exceptional matches where the live crowd was electric for the action all night long. Additionally, there were a number of backstage segments that aired throughout the night that indicated several storylines that have been alluded to for months will be blown off next week, so I'm extremely excited to see how they to cap off this fantastic first season of Lucha Underground. By Sean Nugent Now that the WWE has laid the smackdown on Hulk Hogan, firing him over his racist comments, who will replace him as a judge on WWE Tough Enough? When the WWE fired Hulk Hogan over his racist comments, the Sports Entertainment company found itself with one less judge on their reality TV competition WWE Tough Enough. Replacing Hulkamania is no easy decision, as he's arguably the most famous and recognizable pro-wrestler in history. As it turns out WWE have been tossing around some heavy names. Top options seem to be Bret "The Hitman" Hart or Ric Flair. Other options would be moving Chris Jericho from host to judge and putting the co-host of Tough Enough Renee Young in the hosting role. By Graham "GSM" Matthews Neville def. King Barrett Of all the matches these two have contested against each other over the last several months, this easily among the best. I don't know what caused their previous encounters to be less than stellar, but they clicked on this night and delivered a very fun match. Even the audience managed to invest in the action despite how Barrett means next to nothing right now, though I'm sure Neville's exciting offense can be credited for that. They work very well together and it's a shame neither of them are higher on the card right now so this contest could have meant more. Bo Dallas def. Zack Ryder After an entertaining opener, it was logical to bring the crowd down with this quick squash match. It wasn't much of note, but I always get a kick out of Ryder and he sold well for Dallas. It was encouraging to see Dallas score another win (in addition to winning on Superstars this week as well), but he'll continue to flounder until WWE can find something worthwhile for him to do. |
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