Kyle Dixon’s PPV Review: No Mercy 2017

We’re past SummerSlam now but we have two massive main events for tonight. Brock Lesnar defends the WWE Universal Championship against Braun Strowman while in a WrestleMania worthy dream match, John Cena faces Roman Reigns. I’m excited for this so let’s get to it.

Kyle Dixon’s PPV Review: Summerslam 2017

It’s WWE’s second biggest PPV of the year as we hit Brooklyn for Summerslam. It’s going to be a long show, but we have a great main event as Brock Lesnar defends the WWE Universal Championship against three different beasts. This is also the 30^th edition for the summer PPV so let’s get to it.

Kyle Dixon’s PPV Review: NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III

It’s NXT’s biggest show of the year and we have a stacked card to show for it. Aleister Black takes on Hideo Itami in what is sure to be a hard-hitting contest while in the main event, Drew McIntyre looks to end the Glorious title reign of Booby Roode. Let’s get to it.

Kyle Dixon’s PPV Review: NXT Takeover Brooklyn II

Many people consider this to be NXT’s biggest show of the year and after last year’s event, it’s hard to argue with that point. This year we have a massive main event as Shinsuke Nakamura looks to down the beast and take the championship from Samoa Joe. Backing that up is a big rematch for the NXT Women’s Title and a potential show stealer for the tag belts. Let’s get to it.

Date: 20^th August 2016

Event: NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II

Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

Announcers: Corey Graves and Tom Phillips

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

The video package to lead into the show has a focus on last year’s great show and turns to the main matches for tonight. It was well done as usual. The announcers introduce us to the show and the arena looks great. The music of No Way Jose gets a pop from the crowd and he dances his way out for our opening contest. The crowd chant with his song and he is pumped to be here. He will be facing the newly-turned Austin Aries, who attacked Jose a few weeks ago to turn to the dark side. Aries makes his entrance and gets cheered loudly, despite his evil agenda. That is NXT for you.

No Way Jose vs. Austin Aries

Aries tries to avoid his opponent early on but chain-wrestles him to the ground for a lot of trash talk. The heel tries for a handshake and gets slapped to the ground by Jose, who nails a back suplex. Aries escaped to the outside and gets caught with a big right hand. Jose comes launching off the apron with a clothesline and Aries is sent back first into the apron. Aries begs for mercy but gets back into it with a back elbow. Jose has Aries on the top rope but Austin counters with a neck wringer on the top rope. Aries goes on the attack with stomps and kicks and comes off the top with an elbow drop to the back of the neck for a two count. A standing elbow drop also gets the near fall and Aries is getting frustrated. The crowd will Jose back into it and he unloads with two straight right hands. Aries is launched to the outside and hit with a big double chop. Jose delivers a big back body drop but Aries counters a back drop into the Last Chancery to a big reaction. Jose manages to get to the bottom rope but gets booed for it. Aries goes for a rolling elbow but gets caught in a TKO for a good near fall. Aries blocks the Full Nelson slam and delivers a great suicide dive to the outside. He hits a backbreaker onto the second rope and goes for a suplex but Jose counters with a modified Falcon Arrow for a fantastic near fall. Aries hits the rolling elbow but Jose comes back with a rebound clothesline. Aries counters the Full Nelson Slam with a crucifix bomb and a dropkick in the corner gets a two count. Aries delivers a sunset bomb from the top rope and locks in the Last Chancery for the submission.

Winner by submission: Austin Aries

After the match, Aries attacked Jose from behind and locked in Last Chancery again but Hideo Itami’s music hit to a big pop. Itami comes out in a suit and loafers which is a weird combination, but Aries attacks first. Itami comes back with a flurry of punches and a roundhouse kick. The crowd call for the GTS and Itami actually hits it to a monster pop. That is the first time he has hit the move since coming to NXT.

Match Rating: ***1/4

Match Analysis: That was a good match with Aries doing a great job as the veteran calling the spots. It told a great story of Aries’ technical ability against Jose’s power. The face proved that he is not just a gimmick wrestler and could be an impressive big man wrestler going forward. He showed a lot that people weren’t expecting and it made for a much more interesting match. Aries winning is the right call heading into a feud with the returning Itami. His save and the GTS were great moments.

Billie Kay makes her entrance to not much of a reaction, but she is a jobber basically for Ember Moon’s debut. Moon makes her entrance to a bit of a reaction and already looks like a bigger star than most of the division bar Asuka and Bayley.

Billie Kay vs. Ember Moon

Moon delivers a nice headscissors early on and follows it up with a spinning arm drag to a cheer.  Kay hit a big forearm for a near fall and delivers some stiff shots to the debutant. Moon gets a two count from a springboard crossbody. Kay gets a bit of offense in and it builds to the big babyface comeback. A handstand splash in the corner is followed by a superb spinning stunner from the top rope for a win.

Winner by pinfall: Ember Moon

Match Rating: *

Match Analysis: This was okay, but probably went too long. Moon should have destroyed Kay quickly to put herself right to the top and it made her look a little weak. The action was good, but the crowd were quiet for Kay’s offense because there was only one winner here. Sometimes a squash works, and this would have been one of those times.

We see Bobby Roode arriving to the arena earlier today and he does a heel promo ripping on Brooklyn. He calls it the armpit of New York and runs down the area. This match gets a video package as Roode takes on Andrade Cien Almas. It focused on Roode’s arrival and his whole heel character. It was good as usual and you could even say it was glorious. He makes his entrance and the fans are singing the song. His entrance is special as he lowered down from a pedestal and just looks majestic. He’s wearing a Ric Flair style robe and gets cheered loudly. Almas gets booed on his entrance despite being the babyface in the match.

Bobby Roode vs. Andrade Cien Almas

The fans chanted “this is glorious” before the match. Roode held onto the ropes to avoid an attack from Almas. Roode went to dump Almas outside the ring, but Almas stopped between the ropes. Almas with a dropkick, a headscissors, a kick by the apron and then he avoided a Roode attack in the ring. Almas went to the top rope, but Roode stopped him by hitting the ropes and Almas went crashing down. Running knee to the gut by Roode. Delayed suplex by Roode on Almas gets two. Roode went the middle rope, so Almas hit a dropkick to knock him to the floor. Almas hit a springboard corkscrew plancha to take out Roode on the floor. Back in the ring, cross body attack gets two for Almas. Bulldog by Almas gets two. Roode came back with a massive clothesline for two of his own. Almas did a flip off the ropes when Roode was trying to take him down. Almas with a straight jacket suplex for two. That’s a move you don’t see very often. Nice quickness there. Roode got his knees up to counter a double moonsault attempt. Inside cradle for Almas gets two. They did a punch exchange with the crowd chanting for Roode more than Almas. Spin kick by Almas. Running splash in the corner by Almas. Roode got an elbow, but then Almas with a boot to the face. Roode came back with a massive spinebuster. He has done that move for many years. Roode with a pumphandle slam for the victory with Phillips saying that’s the Glorious Bomb.

Winner by pinfall: Bobby Roode

Match Rating: ***

Match Analysis: That was a good match and a solid way to introduce Roode as a competitor to anyone who hasn’t seen his work before. He is the bigger star of the match at the moment and should have been put over as he was. He could be a big player for NXT this year and this will be just the start. Almas is having trouble connecting with the NXT crowd and I think that is because he lacks real character. That isn’t a problem NXT usually has so I would hope they can fix that soon enough. These two showed some good chemistry too which is a nice touch.

Johnny Gargano is backstage and thrown a t-shirt by Tommaso Ciampa which is the debut of their DIY (Do It Yourself) team name. We see a video package for the tag title match which shows The Revival shocking the world by beating American Alpha to become the first ever 2-time champs. Ciampa and Gragano had to fight each other in the Cruiserweight Classic and it put them on the same page to take on the champs at Takeover. We even see DIY beating The Revival in a non-title match a few months ago which is a nice touch. The babyfaces make their entrance and gets a good reaction from the Brooklyn crowd. The Revival’s entrance music is so different and it gives them an aura. This gets big match intros too.

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) (c) for the NXT Tag Team Championships

It’s Ciampa and Dawson to start and things are already tense. Dawson delivers a stiff chop and dodges one of Ciampa’s before escaping to the outside. Ciampa does nail a couple of chops and Wilder gets one too before Gargano tags. He delivers a double knees and gets a huge Johnny Wrestling chant. Wilder tags in but gets kicked sharply and a boot to the face gets a one count. Wilder comes back with a powerslam and Dawson tags in to get hit with a couple of arm drags. He does nail a straight elbow to the jaw and we have a tag stand-off. They all start to brawl and the babyfaces clear the ring. Gargano and Ciampa both deliver aerial dives to the outside and the fans loved that. Ciampa tags in and tries to fight off the Revival but gets caught with Dawson’s backbuster for a two count. The Revival isolate Ciampa with quick tags and they cut off the hot tag with a stiff right hand. Ciampa is hit with a front face slam for a two count but nails a jawbreaker and tries for the tag to Gargano. He doesn’t manage it though and Dawson tags in to hit a dropkick to the face. Ciampa kicks out at two and Dawson grinds him to the ground in a resthold. Ciampa tags in Garagno but Wilder was distracting the referee who waives it off. Behind his back, Revival nails a back-breaker/elbow drop combo on Ciampa for a close near fall. Gargano finally gets the hot tag and hits Wilder with a belly-to-back suplex. Dawson is hit with a kick to the face and a neckbreaker gets a near fall. Wilder is hit with a superkick and Dawson gets nailed with a massive spear through the middle rope but that somehow only gets two. Dawson nails a DDT for Wilder to cover, but Gargano kicks out at two. Ciampa tags in but gets rolled up for a two count. Ciampa locks in the arm bar on Dawson and Gargano is holding Wilder down, but Wilder does get the interruption eventually. Gargano stops a double-team move and it’s a double pin from Ciampa and Dawson for a very good near fall. Ciampa and Dawson slug it out before the babyface nails a big knee. Dawson delivers a kick to the face but The Shatter Machine is blocked and a roll-up gets a two count. Gargano and Ciampa hits a double kick on Wilder for a false finish as Wilder has his foot on the rope thanks to Dawson. Ciampa is sent into the ring post but gets nailed by Gargano’s forearm. Wilder delivers a chop-block to Gargano and a stomp from the top destroys his knee. Dawson locks in a reverse figure-four and Gargano has to tap.

Winners by pinfall and STILL NXT Tag Team Champions: The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder)

Match Rating: ****

Match Analysis: That was chaotic and fast-paced, while also telling a great story. The Revival are the kings of old-school tag tactics and they showed it with a stellar showing. Gargano and Ciampa were brilliant again and deserved the standing ovation they got after the match. There was some terrific close falls in this match and the false finish was well-worked and made total sense. The finish protects Gargano while also putting over the champs and you can’t ask for much more than that. It was more masterful tag team wrestling from the yellow brand once again.

We get a video package for the NXT’s Women’s Championship match as it is Bayley/Asuka II. Last year, Bayley arrived in Brooklyn and is looking to reclaim the championship she lost in Dallas. Asuka is looking to put her stamp as the leader of the women’s division. This is a simple build as it is the two biggest stars in the division fight for the title. The challenger is out first to a massive ovation which isn’t surprising. Asuka gets a few boos for her entrance but it is mainly cheers.

Bayley vs. Asuka (c) for the NXT Women’s Championship

It’s a stand-off to start with duelling chants and neither lady gets an advantage until Bayley gets a roll-up for one. They exchange one counts and Bayley hits a Stinger Splash. Asuka nails a big knee to the face and Bayley is hurt by it. Asuka is laughing and hits a couple of hip attacks for a two count. Bayley fights back but gets sent face first into the second turnbuckle and gets caught with a couple of kicks to the face. A running scissor kick to the head gets a cocky cover for a two count and Asuka is taking it easy. Bayley starts to fire up and nails a nice suplex followed by a back elbow. She hits a low clothesline and a knee drop for a two count. Asuka misses a hip attack in the ropes and Bayley hangs the champion on the second rope. Bayley delivers a springboard crossbody for a good two count. Bayley misses a second crossbody and Asuka hits a Shining Wizard for a two count. Bayley comes back with a big elbow drop but the champion gets her shoulder’s up at two. They exchange blows and Bayley gets caught with a hip attack, but comes back with a running knee. Asuka locks in a stretch muffler but Bayley rolls out for a bridging pin but Asuka kicks out at two. The champion locks in an Ankle Lock and wrenches it but Bayley escapes. Asuka delivers some stiff kicks to the chest but Bayley catches one and wants to be hit in the face. She counters a punch with a backslide for a close near fall. Both ladies are just exchanging massive shots until Bayley delivers a facebuster on the second attempt. That gets a two count and Asuka pops up into the Asuka Lock. Bayley powers out to a massive pop and Bayley-to-Belly gets a good near fall. Asuka nails the Asuka Lock again in the middle of the ring but Bayley gets out again. Asuka drags her back down but Bayley reverses into a roll-up for a two count. They exchange blows again and Bayley is put down with a vicious kick to the head that gets the three.

Winner by pinfall and STILL NXT Women’s Champion: Asuka

Match Rating: ***1/2

Match Rating: Good match here that lacked the epic feel of their first match. Bayley was brilliant here but can’t match up to Asuka’s unstoppable nature. The champion would make a great heel and she showed signs here. This was stiff stuff and you don’t usually see the ladies do that which meant it was certainly different. Bayley should go up to the main roster from here and Asuka is set to build for the showdown with Ember Moon probably.

We see Samoa Joe walking to the ring UFC-style with the NXT Championship and Shinsuke is leaving his dressing room. It’s main event time and of course, this gets video package treatment. Nakamura makes his entrance first and has a bad-ass violinist for his song. It was pretty awesome and the challenger got a massive pop. Joe is out next and bigs himself up on the walk down to the ramp. This certainly has a big fight feel and they have to be held back for the in-ring intros.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe (c) for the NXT Championship

The fans are loudly singing Nakamura’s song as they lock up. Joe blocks a kick and slaps Nakamura in the face. They chain-wrestle for position and Joe backs off to avoid a submission. The champion works a wrist-lock but Nakamura flips out into a takedown. It’s a stalemate in the opening minutes and Nakamura does his pose on Joe. The champion is hit with a few knees to the gut and it drops him in the corner. Nakamura delivers Good Vibrations in the corner and Joe escapes for a breather. They brawl on the outside and Joe is sent into the ring apron. Joe delivers an enziguri in the ring that crumples Nakamura but he comes back with a knee to the nose. Joe dodges a knee drop on the apron and Nakamura lands nastily on the floor. Joe comes out with a beastly suicide dive to take out Nakamura. That gets a two count when dragged back in the ring so he nails a big back elbow and a roundhouse kick. An elbow drop gets a two count and Joe is in control. Joe works on the resthold and is bending Nakamura up but he gets a leg to the ropes. Joe delivers a stiff powerbomb and turns it over into a Boston Crab instead of getting a pin. He transitions into a STF and now into a crossface and he did it all so smoothly. Nakamura rolls back into a cover to break it up and an inziguri stuns the champ. Both men are down and it is the champion who gets to his feet first, Nakamura unloads with kicks and gets one to the throat that looked painful. Joe is hung up on the top rope and gets a knee to the gut. Joe gets an inverted atomic drop but misses the running senton. Nakamura takes him down at the legs and delivers a couple of knees to the skull. Nakamura went for a splash but Joe counters with a weak-looking backbreaker. Joe goes for a Muscle Buster but Nakamura battles out and hits a kung-fu kick from the top rope to Joe’s throat. They exchange blows and Nakamura is turned inside out with a big lariat clothesline. Joe gets caught into an arm-breaker but Joe keeps the fingers from locking. Nakamura turns it into a triangle choke and Joe counters into a cloverleaf. Nakamura gets to the ropes so Joe goes for the Coquina Clutch twice, but Nakamura blocks it. A massive knee to the face looks like it knocked Nakamura out but he kicks out at two. Joe locks in the Clutch but Nakamura gets a long leg to the ropes. Nakamura escapes a few elbows and nails a big German suplex. He goes for the Kinshasa but Joe counters into a spinning powerslam for a near fall. Joe hits an enziguri which sets up the Muscle Buster for a very good near fall. The fans are singing Nakamura’s song again and Joe goes for another Muscle Buster but Nakamura fights out and nails Kinshasa for a two count. That is the first time anyone has kicked out of the Kinshasa. Nakamura nails a knee to the back of the neck and a second Kinshasa gives him the title.

Winner by pinfall and NEW NXT Champion: Shinsuke Nakamura

Match Rating: ****1/4

Match Analysis: That was a terrific match between two hard-hitting monsters. It was literally big shot after big shot until Nakamura got the win. Joe was unbelievably good here as the monster heel who looked unstoppable. The Muscle Buster looked like the finish, but Nakamura came out on top. It was a terrific main event and the fans became unglued in the closing stages. It was absolutely amazing. Joe needs to move to Smackdown now and be amazing up there, while Nakamura vs. Roode has a nice ring to it for the next Takeover.

Show Rating: 8/10

Show Analysis: It’s a show that has knocked it out of the park again, although not as stylishly as other NXT Takeovers. It lacks the epicness of some big NXT shows, but the wrestling was top class as usual. You know when you watch an NXT Takeover event that you will be getting top storytelling and wrestling. This pulled it off again. Both the main event and tag match are classics, while there are three other matches at the 3* star level which is a testament to a good show.

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

Kyle Dixon’s WWE Superstars Review: 1st January 2016

It’s a new year and 2016 could be a great one for the WWE if their creative gets into check. The first show of the calendar year is from the WWE Network as we get the first Superstars of 2016. This is a show that most people don’t bother with, but you sometimes get some hidden gems while it’s good to see some deserving talents get some sort of TV time. Let’s see what this week has in store for us.

Kyle Dixon’s NXT Review: 22nd July 2015

The reign of the demon begins.