By Graham "GSM" Matthews Jack Swagger def. Jinder Mahal Prior to the taping, I was talking to my good friend Seth Guttenplan and we were joking about who we would see on Superstars. Lo and behold, Swagger was the first one to come out when the show started. The match was hardly anything of note, and as solid as Swagger is, Mahal simply bores me to tears. It wasn't a bad bout, but it hardly held my interest. If nothing else, the match was kept relatively brief and didn't overstay its welcome. The Golden Truth def. Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel I cared so little about Golden Truth (whose entrance I did not partake in by the way) coming out that I literally left to go to the bathroom as soon as the match got underway. Unfortunately, it was still going on by the time I got back. What I saw of it was all right, and there were a few entertaining antics from both tandems, so it wasn't a complete bust. If Dallas and Axel are going to continue to team without Heath Slater, why not call themselves The Social Outcasts again?
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By Graham "GSM" Matthews Mike Bennett Won a No. 1 Contender's Battle Royal For the TNA World Heavyweight Championship This was your typical Battle Royal that featured a bunch of wrestlers you knew had no chance of winning, so admittedly, I paid little attention until the final few. In the meantime, Lashley entertained me greatly on commentary. My interest piqued when it came down to Bennett, Moose and Eddie Edwards, and although you could tell where it was going from there, I liked how it played out. I know people will ask why they're already teasing tension between Bennett and Moose, but Moose should have been a fan favorite from the get-go, so I'm fine with them likely facing off at Bound for Glory. World Tag Team Champion Abyss def. Brother Nero Yes, the pre-match promo between the Hardys and Decay was every bit as weird as you would expect from them, but it was glorious. I didn't enjoy the match for its in-ring action but rather for the hilarious antics of Matt Hardy and the others at ringside. I was surprised to see Abyss go over, but it made sense because the Hardys are already established and Decay will need some momentum in this feud. By Graham "GSM" Matthews Rich Swann def. Lince Dorado in a Second Round Match I had completely forgotten about Dorado from the first round. Not because he was bad, but rather because we have had so many notable names and exceptional performers in this tremendous tournament that it's difficult to keep track of them all. Swann has been one to watch and his crazy charisma should make him a fan favorite in NXT in no time. I liked how it was not only a great wrestling match, but their antics were entertaining as well with both guys dancing and whatnot. This was perfectly placed in the opening slot and I'm glad Swann advanced. Zack Sabre Jr. def. Drew Gulak in a Second Round Match Sabre's style of wrestling is different than everyone else's in this tourney, which is what I like about him because he's unique in that respect. His methodical pace can be boring for some and genius for others. In fact, I truly though this was a better match than what we saw from him in the first round, and that shouldn't be surprising simply because Gulak is great, too. It had an old school feel to it and the constant counters were a blast. I look forward to seeing Sabre go far into the finals, hopefully. By Graham "GSM" Matthews Tye Dillinger def. Wesley Blake As expected, Dillinger was mega over with the audience in Brooklyn, and I was hoping he would be included on the pre-TakeOver TV taping when I was there. In fact, his immense popularity was what saved the match from being a total bore because no one could care less about Blake, and why should they? It's amazing to think he was defending the NXT Tag Team Championship at last year's Brooklyn special. Oh, what a difference a year can make. The match overstayed its welcome by a few minutes, but thankfully, Dillinger was so over that he held the crowd's attention. The Authors of Pain def. TM-61 This marked my first time seeing either tandem in person, so that was a treat. TM-61 are a ton of fun to watch in the ring, and The Authors of Pain have plenty of potential to be a better version of what The Ascension once were. They sold quite well for TM-61 and this was the most vulnerable they have ever looked, producing their best bout in NXT to date. I figured this would be a full-fledged feud, and maybe it might be, but there was a decisive finish, so I suppose we'll see. |
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