NXT 20/05/2020
- LDR
- May 21, 2020
- 5 min read
Heading into this week's show, we knew we were going to see some interesting matches, with Rhea Ripley taking on Io Shirai en route to going after NXT Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, Roderick Strong going after Dexter Lumis as revenge for Lumis' interference in Undisputed Era business and more matches in the Interim Cruiserweight Championshuup Tournament. What hit the target and what was wide of the mark? Read on to find out.
Source: wwe.com
Karrion Kross v Liam Gray
Kross made his spectacular entrance alongside his wife Scarlett for the squash match of an opener. He threw the smaller man around for a bit, toying with his opponent, before putting him away with the Kross Jacket submission. Tommaso Ciampa came out on the mic while teh couple celebrated in the thing. He claimed that everything about Kross was special, from his intimidating look to his "killer entrance" (see what he did there). Ciampa told Kross that he was special too and after Kross attacked Ciampa, Ciampa was going to make him pay at Takeover: In Your House. This whole segment was simple and to the point, but effective in putting Kross over as a destroyer and Ciampa as a defiant but smart babyface.
Akira Tozawa v El Hijo del Fantasma (Interim Cruiserweight Tournament)
This was a great mesh of styles, with both men going at it hard and fast with the lucha styling of Fantasma eventually gaining him the advantage once he started moving towards more powerful moves. Tozawa fought back with some power of his own, hitting his signature German Suplex a few times, but it wasn't enough to put the masked man away. After trading a few big moves and counters, Fantasma managed to hit the Phantom Driver and take the win to claim his group in the tournament. This wasn't the last we would see of these two men either, as they were showing respect to each other in the car park when Tozawa was jumped by the masked kidnappers who have been targeting cruiserweights recently, but Fantasma chased them off.
Source: wwe.com
Mia Yim v Santana Garrett
A Shotzi Blackheart promo before this match outlined her issues and aims for herself in the women's ranks, but this match was all about Mia Yim proving that what Candice LeRae had said about her last week was not true. Yim was out to prove that she wasn't just handed chances and that she belonged among the best female wrestlers in the world. Yim actually made short work of Garrett, not allowing for much offence against her and getting the pin after hitting Protect Ya Neck. LeRae and husband Johnny Gargano came down to ringside after the fact, mocking Yim for not being able to beat Charlotte Flair a few weeks back before a short fight broke out between Yim and LeRae. Gargano pulled down the ropes, casuing Yim to fall hard to the floor but, just when it seemed she was in real trouble, North American Champion Keith Lee strode out, sending Gargano running and LeRae not far behind.
Roderick Strong v Dexter Lumis
After getting involved in the situation between Undisputed Era and The Velveteen Dream, Dexter Lumis had got himself into some hot water with the UE and they had voted Roderick Strong as the man to deal with him. Roddy is a very underrated in-ring performer and showed that here. Lumis used his unsettling gaze and generally creepy demeanour to keep Roddy off his game and managed to hit some hard strikes on The Messiah of the Backbreaker, but he could not put Roddy down for the count. As the match went on, Roddy managed to pull out a surprise pin to pick up the victory, but Lumis was not happy. Lumis grabbed Roddy in a Kata Gatame chokehold on the outside of the ring, drawing out Adam Cole and Bobby Fish for the save but The Velveteen Dream was ready, throwing himself at the Undisputed Era while Lumis continued to choke out Roderick Strong. Dream and Lumis are two very unique characters with great physical charisma - this pairing could be something special if they continue to work together.
Source: wwe.com
Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan v Ever-Rise
This was a squash match to create some competitive teams within the tag ranks after Imperium took the championships last week. Burch and Lorcan have long been a fun team to watch, with their fast paced, aggressive offence being very unique to the duo. They overwhelmed Chase Parker and Matt Martel, with dual submissions putting Ever-Rise down. Burch and Lorcan stood tall in the ring, mocking Imperium's stance, potentially calling out the new champs.
Kushida v Drake Maverick (Interim Cruiserweight Tournament)
Kushida came into this match with a perfect record in the tournament, while Maverick needed a win to keep his job, let alone stay in the tournament. Jake Atlas came down to ringside to support his buddy Drake Maverick and looked on as Maverick was completely outmatched. Kushida was a technical master in this, going after the arm of Maverick with repeated submission holds and wearing the Brit down. Maverick would not give up his underdog story yet, but it looked as though there was no hope for him. Kushida managed to counter the Top Rope Bulldog into another arm-based submission - something looking a lot like the Kimura Lock - with Maverick scrambling around for any way to escape. Maverick managed to get himself off the mat and create some leverage to push Kushida's shoulders down for a surprise pin-fall. As a result of Maverick's win, there was a three way tie in Block A, which led to Byron Saxton announcing a Triple Threat match next week to determine the winner; Jake Atlas, Drake Maverick or Kushida. These tournament matches have been great and this triple threat will be a fantastic way to conclude Block A.
Source: wwe.com
Rhea Ripley v Io Shirai
This one was always going to hit hard, with Io feeling that Rhea had stepped on her toes by attacking Charlotte Flair and Rhea feeling disrespected for the ungratefulness from Shirai following the save. Both women wailed on each other, Shirai trying to use her speed to her advantage, but Ripley's power game taking charge early on. After some back and forth spilling to the outside, the NXT Women's Champion made her way to ringside, watching her foes go at it. Shirai hit a fantastic looking hurricarana on Ripley, sending her crashing into The Queen, which led to Charlotte losing her cool and attacking The Genius of the Sky, leading to a disqualification. She then hit a spear on Ripley for good measure and finish the night standing tall. After Shirai lost to Flair recently, it seemed as though Ripley would get her rematch. However, after seeing this, it looks as though there is a Triple Threat on the horizon for these women and - with the quality between the three of them - it could be one of the best women's matches of all time.
What did you think of this week's NXT? Will Finn Balor accept Damien Priest's challenge? Who will Imperium take on next? Will a cage be enough to contain Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher? Let me know your thought on this and more down below.
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