Let’s looks at what happened on the NXT 8/19 episode…
Johnny Gargano vs Ridge Holland
We open with a “second chance” match for a spot in the five man ladder match for the vacant North American title at Saturday’s Takeover XXX. Despite his new persona, Gargano is still “Johnny Takeover” and he’s looking at the possibility that he may not get to be a part of the next one. In his way is the brawler and former rugby player from NXT:UK, Ridge Holland. Holland made a big impression during his triple threat match against Oney Lorcan and winner, Damian Priest. He’s a solid unit with power and athleticism on his side.
Since his heel turn, Johnny has managed to seamlessly turn from scrappy technician to cagey opportunist. Holland maintains control throughout most of the match but, every time he miscalculates, Johnny is there to make him pay for it. The unintentional (?) highlight of the match sees Gargano nearly spiked directly onto his head during what Vince McMahon would have called a “modified” powerslam. A great camera angle catches Candice Larae’s reaction at ringside. She would ultimately make right by her man, though. Johnny tries his best to get the brawny Brit off his feet but makes the mistake of leaving his feet when the train is coming through. Johnny is pounced halfway under the ropes and rolls to the outside. Holland retrieves him and gets him back in the ring but Candice gets a hold of his leg. He’s a sitting duck for what is becoming a signature low blow from Johnny. One Final Beat from Gargano and three more from the referee.
Winner: Johnny Gargano
Dakota Kai vs Jessi Kamea
Kamea enjoys a size advantage but doesn’t enjoy it much. She’s never really in control for very long in this one as Dakota nearly kicks her head off twice in the corner early on. The Go 2 Kick in the middle of the ring ends Dakota’s warmup for her title match on Saturday.
Winner: Dakota Kai
Dakota takes the opportunity to run down Io Shirai, prompting the NXT women’s champ to come out and confront her. And by “confront her,” I mean hit a double leg takedown and start swinging on Dakota Kai! Io starts to drag her challenger toward the back but she gets leveled by Raquel Gonzalez’s boot. Dakota’s Amazonian amiga carries Shirai to the ring and, when the cham starts to get the better of Kai again, plants her with a chokelsam. Dakota Kai grins like a cat with a belly full of canary.
Legado del Fantasma vs Breezango & Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
This seems like an odd feud but it makes really good use of Breezango to elevate not just the members of Legado del Fantasma but also (and especially) Isaiah Scott. The announcers are keen to point out that Breezango is all business these days and that Swerve is the only man thus far to count a win over Santos Escobar in NXT. (Note: I don’t recall if Killshot ever beat King Cuerno in Lucha Underground but that’s literally neither here nor there. Editor’s Note: King Cuerno defeated Kill Shot in Lucha Underground.)
When the bell rings and it erupts into a brawl, Escobar and Swerve find each other right away. There’s a lot of sneaks, saves, and both legal and illegal double teaming in this one. The ending sees a technical miscue when Swerve clears the ring but inadvertently knocks Tyler Breeze off of the apron. He hits the cradle driver on Escobar and has him dead to rights but the ref has to tell him that he’s no longer the legal man! Breeze gets fed to Escobar’s Phantom Driver and Legado takes this one.
Winner: Legado del Fantasma
After the match we get an announcement from Beth Phoenix that the Takeover:XXX pre-show will see Legado del Fantasma’s Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza vs Breezango vs Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch with the winners named #1 contenders to imperium’s NXT Tag Team Championship
Adam Cole and The Undisputed Era come down to the ring and await Pat McAfee. McAfee has brought Darius Butler and AJ Hawk (looking like Clancy Brown’s even more intimidating love child) with him. “28 years of NFL experience” he says that he brought because he has Adam Cole scouted as having his “stooges” doing his dirty work. When all other parties are off the apron, Pat McAfee busts into a blistering promo running down his achievements, first and foremost, knocking out Adam Cole with a punt to the face two weeks ago. He repeatedly talks about he showed up out of nowhere and humiliated the longest-reigning NXT Champion. He boasts that, at Takeover, he’ll do it again because he’s a winner at everything he does and throws the mic at Cole’s corner. Cole approaches him to talk but a bunch of security guards get in the ring and crowd him. Cole proceeds to take out each and every one of them, putting a look of concern on McAfee’s face. Literally backed into a corner, he’s rescued by Hawk and Butler hopping onto the apron. Undisputed Era gets in the ring and there’s a stand off as McAfee leaves the ring and the Performance Center.
Aliyah & Mercedes Martinez vs Rhea Ripley & Shotzi Blackheart
This is basically a game of keepaway with Mercedes Martinez taunting Rhea Ripley after they briefly start the match together. Mercedes is still pretty “meh” in her opinion of Aliyah but they have improved cohesion in this match. Mercedes saves her partner by knocking Shotzi down from the top turnbuckle. Rhea comes in to scuffle and, after Mercedes misses a big boot on the apron, Rhea powerbombs her all the way to outside the guardrails on the arena floor! Robert Stone is losing his mind at Martinez’s side while Shotzi hits a diving back senton on Aliyah for the win. Robert Stone is screaming “You’re crazy! Both of you are crazy!” as Shotzi and Rhea taunt him with tongues-out laughter from the ring.
A video package plays, outlining both Keith Lee’s rise to the NXT Championship and Karrion Kross’ insertion into the title picture and Lee’s psyche.
Finn Balor vs Velveteen Dream
Okay. This is the second “second chance” match for a spot in the North American Championship ladder match. Velveteen Dream comes out second and his “self-imposed sabbatical” is briefly mentioned by Mauro Ranallo. More on that later … I promise.
Dream starts the match without removing his shades or his kerchief but Finn takes care of them for him during a headlock sequence. Finn seems firmly in control, flipping up to his feet after Dream’s sunset flip attempt but Dream hits a Lou Thesz press with punches and howls into a bit of brawling. Balor kicks him down to the mat to attempt a submission but Dream gets free at the ropes just about the time when Cameron Grimes makes his way to the ring and on top of the ladders at ringside. Grimes taunts both men and, as the match goes on, Johnny Gargano comes down to dump Grimes’ ladder into the ring. Grimes lands right on the referee, knocking him cold.
Dream hits a Famouser on Grimes and Balor follows up with a Sling Blade. Johnny Gargano picks up the North American title belt at ringside but slides into the ring to avoid Bronson Reed! When Johnny does this he backs right up into Damian Priest! Reed throws Johnny out but Priest distracts him by tossing him the title and roundhouse kicks him in the face!
There’s a lot going on all at once but Finn starts taking care of business, dropping Velveteen Dream before diving onto Damian Priest. But then a wild Timothy Thatcher appears! He sends Finn to the arena floor and then serves him up to Velveteen Dream on a platter. Dream Valley Driver and the Purple Rainmaker give him the final spot.
Winner: Velveteen Dream
After the match, Dream stands to celebrate but the other ladder match participants take turns taking each other out until Bronson Reed is standing alone in the center of the ring as we go off air.
Five Takeaways from NXT 8/19:
1. Dakota Kai is really working her heel persona but I don’t see her dethroning Io Shirai at Takeover. If she does, I can see a Shawn/Diesel situation developing with her and Raquel. If not, I don’t know what the hell to do with them next.
2. Tonight’s match would have made sense to end the Rhea Ripley vs Robert Stone Brand storyline. If not, they’re going to need more pieces to this ensemble to carry it to another Takeover.
3. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, What they’re doing with this Cole/McAfee is brilliantly done. Even if you have issues with a non-wrestler taking a spot at Takeover or even being in the mix, you have to admit that it has been well-scripted, well-performed, and well-produced. There’s babyface heat on Adam Cole, for ****’s sake! And, like any good classic heel, these promos by Pat McAfee? With the exception of him guaranteeing victory at Takeover, has he said anything that wasn’t true?
4. I am a huge fan of both Keith Lee and Karrion Kross. I would hate to see either one lose. Not because I want them both to win but because I feel the loss will take the shine off the loser more than it gives to the winner. If Keith Lee retains, they will have built Kross up well and quickly but taken him down just as fast. If Kross wins, even with shenanigans, it will be too soon, especially with the momentum behind the moment that was Lee’s win at last month’s Great American Bash.
5. Whew. Yeah. So Velveteen Dream is going to be at Takeover. This is problematic to say the least. “Tone deaf” is getting tossed around but I don’t think that it’s the right term; just the closest I can think of right now. Maybe “oblivious” is better. I don’t care if you’re a fan of the character and the work (as I am). I don’t care if you’re numb from the outpouring of various (and numerous) allegations made against and within the wrestling industry as people continue #speakingout (which is your problem, frankly). Burden of proof on the accuser. Cancel culture is kingslaying. The WWE says that they’ve investi-blah blah blah blah ****ing blah. I won’t dismiss these points. There does need to be objectivity and thoroughness applied to the allegations surrounding Patrick Clark. This seems to get lost in the public mindset too quickly in these types of scandals. But, by all accounts and including any information leaked by industry insiders to the general public at this time, it’s not that the matter hasn’t been adequately investigated but that it has not even been adequately addressed by WWE. Chris “Birdman” Andersen of Miami Heat fame had been the victim of an elaborate blackmail/defamation scam in 2012 where he had unwittingly been in explicit correspondence with a minor. These things do happen … but we’ve seen others put on suspension or outright terminated over other investigations. If everyone is cleared but still has to keep quiet because of an ongoing investigation by authorities, then keep it out of sight and the onus off the audience. It’s not like we haven’t been through enough.
