NXT Review – August 22 2018: “I’M NOT YOUR MATE!”

NXT Review – August 22 2018: “I’M NOT YOUR MATE!”

Hello and welcome to the NXT review! This week’s show will feature two matches taped at NXT Takeover:Brooklyn and will no doubt be rather heavy on the Takeover recaps.

So of course we begin with a Takeover recap. This includes a clip of Mark Henry and Kevin Owens watching together in the crowd, which I didn’t notice the first time around.

Bianca Belair vs Deonna Purrazzo

The returning Belair gets a nice response from the New Yorkers. Purrazzo, as commentator Mauro Ranallo reminds us, will be part of the upcoming Mae Young Classic 2.

Mid-match, Belair applies the old sugar hold, the full nelson while sitting on Deonna’s back, which I’ve always thought would be an effective finisher. The ‘EST of NXT‘ follows up with a moonsault but there’s no H2O in the pool (thanks Mauro). Deonna makes a brief comeback but Belair muscles her up into the Torture Rack into a face-first slam for the easy three count. The Belair push continues.

King Dream and Queen Cathy

After a Velveteen Dream beats EC3 at Takeover recap, we go to Cathy Kelly who is backstage with the ‘Purple One.’ Dream is bang on form here. He pauses, soaks in the ambiance, enjoys the moment, then produces what looks like ‘Macho Man’s crown from 1990, carefully places it on the interviewer’s head, calls her Queen Cathy, teases asking her out, then instead tells everyone to watch the WWE Network at 8pm on Wednesday to see…something special. Oooh the mystery! And the simmering sexual tension between King Dream and Queen Cathy!

EC3 cuts a post-loss promo. You can see his right eye isn’t quite right but this must have been filmed straight after his Takeover match because it hasn’t swollen up like a golf ball yet. Interviewer Mike Rome asks EC3 about the Aleister Black parking lot attack. The ‘One Percenter’ accuses Lars Sullivan. And duly sets up his next feud, just like that.

“I Ain’t Your Mate”

Next we recap the Undisputed ERA’s mixed fortunes in Brooklyn, where Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong retained the NXT Tag Team Titles against Moustache Mountain only to be waylaid by the War Raiders, then Adam Cole lost the North American Championship to Ricochet in an athletic tour de force. Backstage, Ricochet is being interviewed when O’Reilly and Strong turn up with two-on-one bullying on their mind. A passing Pete Dunne evens up the odds but when Slic Ric says “thank you mate,” the ‘Bruiserweight’ replies “I ain’t your mate.” Dunne vs Ricochet? Yes please.

Next, Lieutenant Ranallo informs us that new digitized footage has emerged from the Black attack. Apparently a shadowy figure watching from the roof has been identified as Nikki Cross. But they are still no closer to discovering the culprit. It’s like CSI:Orlando. Maybe they should call Horatio. He’ll figure it out.

Backstage after Shayna Baszler’s loss of the NXT Women’s Title to Kairi Sane, the ‘Queen of Spades’ is flanked by her Four Horsewomen pals Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke. Early Survivor Series tease? In a nutshell, Shayna is not happy. Cathy Kelly’s very lucky she didn’t get crowned again right there.

6 years ago by Wrestle Talk

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