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Week in pro wrestling 7/6/20 Fyter Fest, Great American Bash night two

This week in pro wrestling, Fyter Fest, Great American Bash night two! A WWE double champion is crowned and an ECW title is in AEW! The WWE U.S title is revamped and is Kari Sane really gone? Will there be title changes at AEW’s Fyter Fest? Orange Cassidy takes on the chameleon of pro wrestling! The Limitless one vs Panama City Playboy.. BAY! BAY! Jeff Hardy’s match at Extreme Rules is announced. Let’s dive in right now!

Raw:

Sins of the past catch up with Drew McIntyre on Monday’s Raw

The longest weekly episodic broadcast is brought to us once again from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL on 7/6/20.
We begin with an in-ring verbal confrontation between WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre, and his opponent for the Horror Show at Extreme Rules, Dolph Ziggler.
Ziggler will have his choice of a stipulation one week from this Sunday at the PPV, but he neglects to tell us what it is at this time.
Instead, Ziggler walks to take us on a trip through the past. He talks about how Drew became champion and left a trail of those forgotten in his wake.
This brings out a returning Heath Slater, wearing a “Free Agent” shirt and Slater goes on to cut one hell of a promo. He wants to face Drew McIntyre and the champ denies him at first, but a well placed slap changes his mind. Slater had reference being let go and how when Drew got fired, he called him often and saw him every time he was in Florida. This was great. We’ve got a match.
Drew McIntyre defeats Heath Slater via pin fall with the Claymore Kick.
This was over quite quickly. Slater had a smattering of offense and then he was gloating long enough for McIntyre to strike with the Claymore for the finish.
Ziggler struck after the match, attacking Slater for failing to deliver. McIntyre comes to his friend’s aide and they are back on the same page. Hopefully Slater gets a chance to rise to prominence again after what happened at the beginning of CO-VID 19.
Sasha Banks and Bayley are backstage and instead of cutting a promo, they say they’ll do it in the ring. Asuka and Bayley are slated for a champ vs. champ match later tonight.
Banks and Bayley cut a promo in the ring, talking about what Banks will do to Asuka and what Bayley will do tonight and this brings out Asuka, who they mock for coming out alone, except she isn’t.
We get a returning Kairi Sane and the other half of the Kabuki Warriors is set to face Sasha Banks, next!
Kairi Sane defeats Sasha Banks via DQ after interference from Bayley.
This is what happens when two capable hands get in the ring and do business. You don’t have to worry about injuries because of careless wrestlers, but we’ll leave that alone. Banks and Sane traded offense, and the end looked to be coming when Sane trapped Banks in a new finisher variation, a modified version of the clover leaf, trapping both legs.
Bayley had Sane enough and she strikes, causing the DQ. While Sane is down, they double team Asuka on the outside, but Sane takes to the skies, hitting the InSane elbow to clear the way. The faces stand tall as the heels retreat, looking for retribution later this evening.
The Big Show and The Viking Raiders are backstage and the Viking Raiders are looking to have a laugh before a scheduled six man tag later tonight where apparently Randy Orton will be teaming with Andrade and Angel Garza. Show slaps both Ivar and Erik, firing them out before leaving.
Aleister Black has been laid out backstage and he’s wearing a Rey Mysterio mask, leading us to believe that Seth Rollins and Murphy struck before the slated tag match where the two men would take on Mysterio and Black.
The KO show returns and we get a fantastic back and forth between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. Owens present Rollins with a KO-Mania IV shirt, reminding Rollins of the loss at the big show after Owens came off the sign with the falling elbow.
Rollins mocks the fact that Owens sacrificed himself for that moment and he invites him to join his side.
Mysterio and Dominic are out and we find out that Owens will join Mysterio, having declined the offer from Rollins and that they’ll have a tag team match where the winning team gets to pick the Mysterio/Rollins stipulation for the Horror Show at Extreme Rules.
Rey Mysterio/Kevin Owens defeat Seth Rollins/Murphy via pin fall after a splash from Mysterio on Murphy.
This was incredible. They put together so many great stories in one match.
The action was fast, furious and intense. We already knew how solid Mysterio, Owens and Rollins are, but Murphy is really coming into his own.
The match continued and at one point, Mysterio was looking for the 619, but Rollins grabbed Dominic, threatening injury, but Aleister Black’s music hits and he is livid after the backstage attack.
The distraction ties up the referee as Rollins dares Black to attack him, giving them the win. The distraction allows Dominic to gouge Murphy’s eyes and Mysterio takes advantage with a 619 and the falling splash for the victory. He celebrates with his son and KO and then informs us that at Extreme Rules, it’ll be an “Eye For An Eye” match.
That was rumored earlier in the week, but this should be interesting. What a great story this is turning out to be.
MVP has a championship shot at US Champ, Apollo Crews, coming up at the PPV because of his non-title victory last week.
They present the new title and it looks absolutely fantastic. MVP says that since he already beat Crews, he should go ahead and get crowned the new champ. Bobby Lashley helps him put the belt around his waist, but they are interrupted by Ricochet and Cedric Alexander.
Ricochet talks about Crews being on the shelf this week, and it might have to do with the CO-VID testing, but they are here to rise to the occasion themselves and we look to have the trappings of a tag team match.
Bobby Lashley/MVP defeat Ricochet/Cedric Alexander via pin fall after a spear from Lashley on Alexander.
The faces gave a good account of themselves, taking to the skies with sound offense, but “The All Mighty” was too much.
MVP wrestled the match in street clothes, complete with shirt and tie, which was impressive.
Alexander made the hot tag, but it wasn’t enough as Lashley powered through him, hitting his signature spear for the victory. He slapped on the full nelson, but Ricochet was able to save his partner from injury as the heels stand tall.
Lashley and MVP look fantastic right now and the sky is the limit for these two. I expect MVP to lose and then we’ll have Lashley and Crews at the next PPV. Either way, it’s going to make for great TV.
Big Show’s two KO punches are shown from last week before Andrade is approached backstage by Zelina Vega and Angel Garza. Andrade doesn’t want to talk to Garza, but “Nature Boy” Ric Flair approaches and puts them over, trying to get them on the same page.
Orton enters the scene, putting over both of the third generation talents before telling both of them that if any of them screw up what happens in the ring tonight, he won’t hesitate to introduce them to the “Legend Killer”, the official name for his punt kick. I love it. The six man is up next.
Before the six man, the Kabuki Warriors are backstage and are asked about Asuka’s strategy for her match with Bayley tonight. Kairi and Asuka are delightful. Asuka says that after she beats Bayley tonight, they plan to challenge Banks and Bayley for the Women’s tag titles next week. Sane then plays the Warriors theme on a flute. We don’t deserve either of them.
Randy Orton/Andrade/Angel Garza defeat The Big Show/The Viking Raiders via pin fall after an RKO on Erik.
This was terrific. Actually, correction, Orton was terrific. The continued dissension between Garza and Andrade was on display until Orton had some “real talk” with Garza, putting him in his place as he tried to leave. This seemed to unite Garza and Andrade as they mixed it up with the Raiders on another level.
The Raiders are setting up with the Viking Experience, but Garza pulls Andrade out as Orton makes the blind tag.
Big Show is outside the ring as Ivar is dumped following a double team maneuver from Andrade and Garza. Orton takes advantage of the distraction and he strikes Erik with the RKO for the pin fall.
Orton has been red hot lately and all signs point to a title match between he and Drew McIntyre at Summerslam. Sign me up.
Ruby Riott has another run-in with the Iiconics backstage who mock the fact that Liv Morgan won’t even return her phone calls. Riott isn’t impressed and she’s competing against Billie Kay later tonight. This should lead to the reunion as we referenced last week.
Cedric Alexander is icing up backstage after his tag match earlier when MVP approaches him. MVP talks about how impressed he’s been with “Ced” for a while now and he then calls him Ricochet’s “sidekick” and says he’s so more much.
Alexander isn’t having it at first, but MVP continues and asks why he doesn’t have a 365 special on the network like Ricochet. He says he and Lashley are in the “hurting” business and Ced is in the “catering” business, because that’s where he’ll be his whole career if he doesn’t make moves. Damn. Alexander getting with that stable would be great and hopefully Ricochet can reestablish his singles career, but I like the potential of this a lot.
Ric Flair is backstage with Randy Orton, putting over what he’s been doing. Orton says a victory is a victory before R-Truth bumps into him. Truth says for the dirtiest player in the game, he cleans up nice.
He thinks Flair is Tozawa. Orton is dumbfounded and Tozawa and the ninjas approach and stay at a distance. Orton points them in the right direction without unleashing his wrath. Wow, now they are tying stories together and doing it with some hilarity.
Billie Kay defeats Ruby Riott via pin fall after a Uranage Tigerbomb.
Riott is ready for action against Billie Kay, continuing their feud from last week. They get a little bit of time, but the double team tactics continue.
Riott is able to kick out at two after Kay hit her sliding boot, and she gets in plenty of offense, but Royce climbs onto the apron, distracting Riott again. Ruby disposes of her, but this allows Kay to chop the throat and then she hits Eat Defeat before hitting a Uranage Tigerbomb for the finish.
That was a cool finish. The numbers game continues to stack and it should lead to that reunion with her and Morgan.
Bayley and Banks are backstage and they accept the tag team title match for next week and Bayley plans to show both Asuka and all those “sheep” out there what she’s capable of. That match is next and should be the main event based on time. Let’s hope they give them the full half hour.
Nikki Cross is seated at ringside. Security is trying to escort her away, but she says she’ll be calm before her own title match with Bayley at Extreme Rules, an interesting development.
Asuka defeats Bayley via pin fall after a bridge trap following an Asuka Lock.
This was a reminder of the good ole’ days of NXT as fellow Scrum Writer David said.
This was off the chain and one heck of a way to end a pretty solid broadcast.
Asuka and Bayley gave it their proverbial all and really took it to the distance with a main event match worthy of its placement. There were teased interferences amidst the chain wrestling and power offense from both champions.
The end came when Bayley had a brief interaction with Nikki Cross which led to the application of the Asuka Lock. bayley tried to maneuver out, but Asuka was able to roll her into a modified bridge trap for the pin fall.
After the match, Sasha Banks tried to get involved, but Kairi Sane hit the interceptor and we’ve got a Tag title match for next week! What a fantastic show this week!

AEW Dynamite:

Fyter Fest night two! Can Private Party obtain the AEW tag team titles?! Joey Jenal puts on a championship effort! Taz huge announcement and a great 8-Man tag match! Nyla Rose squashes all, to her path with  champion, Hikaru Shida. Will Colt Cabana shine in the Dark Order vs SCU match? Will Cassidy juice the Le Champion?! Let’s get started, because this is Dynamite!

Fantastic start! A squash match no longer. Taz brings his sweat, blood, and tears to AEW.

Kenny Omega/Adam Page vs Private Party for the AEW tag team titles. Omega/Page retain via Last Call pin fall.

Wow… what a way to start the night! I knew we were in for something special, but this match still awed me. The younger and faster team vs the more experienced and stronger team. This did not disappoint, in fact Private Party pulled off moves that I never or rarely seen! It was that type of match, were you clapped in respect in what you saw. Yet, not only this was the first match of the night that made you do so, but the first of a few. Let’s get started!

Quen and Omega start off the bout with it ending in a stalemate. Page goes full on heel, attacking Isaiah before he is tagged in. Kassidy is tagged in and hits the Silly String on Kenny. Page then Powerbombs Marq into the crowd, with Kassidy hitting an inside to outside, second rope Senton! I am not sure if it was planned, but it looked amazing. Omega picks up for the champs and delivers Snap Dragon Suplexes to Private Party! Isiah and Quen go to Double Clothesline Omega, but the Cleaner countered with a DOUBLE SPANISH FLY! At this point I was so hyped for the match.

The sprint for the finish involved a missed 450 by Quen, a countered Buckshot Lariat with a Tornado DDT to the stage by Isaiah, and a Gin and Juice counter! Omega broke up the Gin and Juice with a V-Trigger and Page Liger Bombed Marq! This all ends with The Last Call on Kassidy and the champs retaining the titles. Some spots where botched, but an overall great start of the night.

Lance Archer vs Joey Jenala. Archer wins via Black Out pin fall.

Before the match starts, Lance brought out an assaulted Sonny Kiss and throws him at his partner, Joey Janela. This infuriates Joey and this “squash” match has legs. As Joey fights back hard in this match, landing unexpected shots and even getting a table propped up. As soon as that happened, Lance gain control. The Murderhawk’s manger, Jake The Snake even was worried, as he interfered with the match. That was almost a mistake, as Joey and Sonny Kiss took advantage of the distracted ref. Jenela hits a Body Splash and Kiss hits a 450, but it only gets a two count! The Murderhawk then positions the Bad Boy for a Black Out, but on the ring apron. Lance then hits it through the table that Joey set up! Archer then rolls Joey in the ring for the win.

Honestly, I was expecting a quick squash. However, Joey Jenela yet again shows that he can blend traditional wrestling and his extreme wrestling. While making it compelling and looking good. Archer needed this win, but the length it took him to get it, does no favors for him. Archer may get a title soon, but I think it will be short lived.

Oh no Taz, you didn’t!!

Taz’s big announcement even had me gasping at first mention. Kudos to Tony Khan and Taz for actually pulling this off! I actually did not know who owned the property rights of what was going to be announced. The Human Suplex Machine revealed what cost him his blood, sweat, and tears to make.. THE FTW CHAMPIONSHIP! Yes, the title that was ECW’s equivalent to the  WWE’s Million Dollar belt. Just like the Million Dollar belt, it is a non-sanction title, but loved by the smarks around the world. Taz then crowns Brian Cage as the new FTW champion, calling him the “Baddest son of a b—h in pro wrestling!”. This reveal was stupendous, dusting off a well loved title to bring back ECW nostalgia and giving Cage even more credit.

Styles clash in an eight-man tag match. Nyla Rose has a planned path. Is Colt Cabana, Cult Cabana? Orange Cassidy sets his sights on Le Champion.

Lucha Bros/Blade/Butcher vs FTR/Young Bucks. Lucha Bros win via LB Driver pin fall.

Wow…..

No, really… wow. This was almost a perfect match, not because of the high flying athleticism. In which there was, but for the whole epic story telling in the match. FTR and the Young Bucks actually teamed together and gelled. Whether it was Wheeler and Nick Jackson hitting the Good Night Express or Nick and Dax hitting the Spiked Powerdriver. These four men put aside the “rival” to fight together and it was brilliant. To fully recap this fantastic match may require a pro wrestling thesaurus, so I’ll keep it short and implore you to find this match and watch it. I even bugged my Canadian pal, who barely watches anymore to do so and obliged.

With all the action in the ring, there was bound to be a couple of botches and there was. Pentagon and Butcher hit a double team move, but Butcher got confused and attempted a pin when he was not legal. Then there was the pop up Fall Away Slam, that was not executed very well. Aside from those small mistakes, this was glorious (have I praised this match enough yet?).

The closing minutes had Fenix hit a Springboard Flip PowerDriver on the men outside! Matt Jackson then goes to Super Kick Pentagon Jr, but hits Dax instead. This sets up the Lucha Bros to hit the LB Driver on the elder Jackson and claim the win. The great thing about this that there was no hard feelings between FTR and the Bucks, they knew it was a mistake. However, this can still plant the seeds to an even larger feud down the road. Fantastic, just fantastic.

Nyla Rose vs Kenzie Page/Kilynn Page in a Handicap match. Rose wins via Beast Bomb pin fall.

The match was only a vehicle for Nyla’s promo and planned path. After beating the two ladies in a dominate fashion, Rose grabs the mic and she had a thought, her thinking was that all the champions in AEW have a manager. Cody.. champion. Brian Cage.. title holder. This makes Nyla state that she now has a manager and that manager will debut next week. The Native Beast tells Hikaru Shida that title will be hers again. Interesting stuff there, I wonder who will manage one of the most dominate woman in AEW?

Colt Cabana/Dark Order vs SCU. Colt Cabana wins via Discus Lariat from Brodie Lee pin fall.

Cabana came in the match with a severe bruise on his ribs, which hinder him throughout the bout. Leaving it up to Brodie Lee and Stu Grayson to pick up the slack. Can I say for a minute how Stu probably had his best match ever in AEW? Grayson for me was the surprise MVP of this match. Yes, we all know how The Exalted One has grown and how great SCU are. However, seeing Stu perform like he did in this match and seemingly out of nowhere, is a treat.

The match went along as planned, SCU being a gelled team and Lee the power of all the men. SCU and Dark Order had great back and forth action as the match reached it’s finish. The closing moments had Kazarian hitting the Ace Crusher on Brodie, but Lee hits the Truck Stop on Frankie! Grayson is set up for the Best Moonsault Ever, but Colt makes the save. The Fallen Angel then drops Cabana with a right hand. Allowing The Exalted One land the Discus Lariat, Lee then orders Grayson to tag in Colt. Cabana then hits a Lateral Press on Daniels for the win. Afterwards Colt wanted to celebrate, but the Dark Order didn’t seem be interested.With gaining wins Colt is feeding into the conditioning of Brodie Lee. Maybe even becoming “Cult”Cabana. Thanks Olie Davis for coming up with that name!

Chris Jericho vs Orange Cassidy. Jericho wins via Judas Elbow pin fall.

The more and more Cassidy wrestles on AEW, the casual fans are understanding him. Yes, at first he comes across as the slacking comedy character. However, there is another layer to Orange. A seething amount of unbridled emotions suppressed from his nonchalant attitude. Waiting to be unleashed on any opponent and that is what Le Champion got tonight. If it weren’t for his Inner Circle brothers, Santana and Ortiz, Chris would’ve fell from the might of Beast Cassidy. Why wasn’t Best Friends initially there is perplexing, because everyone knows how Jericho rolls.

With the match going on for the main event of night two, it is looking like Jericho and AEW is pushing hard for Orange, and he did not disappoint. Hitting Le Champion with everything he had from Diving DDTs to Splashes to the Super Soft Kicks! Santana and Ortiz do their usual heel tactics with the Mad Ball strikes and tossing orange juice in to Cassidy’s face. This prompts Best Friends to come out and take out Santana and Ortiz. The closing moments had Cassidy hit a Michinoku Driver, for only two.

Both men trade clubbing blows, then Orange hits a Neckbreaker. Going for a second, Jericho counters with a Stundog Millionaire! The TV time is quickly ticking away, as Cassidy lands a Satellite DDT, but Le Champion kicks out! Both men can not gain an advantage as the show runs over the allotted time. Cassidy runs in for a Superman Punch, Chris dodges it and hits the Judas Effect for the win and the end of Fyter Fest!

Afterthoughts.

I thoroughly enjoyed night two over night one of Fyter Fest. From the opening match to the FTW title reveal to the instant classic 8-man tag team match, to the unbridled fury of Orange Cassidy. It was a very, very solid show. Next week, AEW is going to put on the Fight for the Fallen event to support the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. If this high caliber show spills over to next weeks show, it should be another banger.-David G

NXT:

NXT’s Great American Bash is certainly one for the ages, kicking off with Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim in a Street Fight and culminating with Keith Lee vs. Adam Cole in a Champion vs. Champion, Winner Take All match. The Great American Bash goes out with a BIG BANG, so let’s get right to it!

LeRae, you SLAY! Keg or six-pack? Swerve gets evicted.

Street Fight – Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim. LeRae wins with an avalanche swinging neckbreaker

The animosity between Candice LeRae and Mia Yim reaches a fever pitch this week as they do battle in a hellacious Street Fight. It doesn’t take long for the action to get started, as Yim attacks LeRae during the Poison Pixie’s entrance. Yim fills the ring with plunder and gets in the ring to officially start the match. From there, it’s a back and forth brawl, with both women utilizing kendo sticks, trash can lids, steel chairs…practically everything but the kitchen sink.

The fight spills back outside and Yim and LeRae fight at a makeshift “catering” table, throwing food and trays at each other. Candice takes Mia down and sets up a table, then rolls Mia onto a production platform. LeRae goes for a suplex, but Yim blocks it and dropkicks LeRae, sending her through the table. After the break, Yim and LeRae continue to brutalize each other through the rest of the match, including a spot where Yim sacrifices herself by hitting a running cannonball on LeRae, while Candice is wearing a trash can over her head.

LeRae makes her comeback and sets up a table across the top turnbuckle. As LeRae climbs on top of the table, Yim gives chase, but is countered by LeRae. Candice proceeds to drop Mia with a swinging neckbreaker off the top rope and through a pile of chairs waiting in the ring! LeRae drapes her arm over Yim’s chest, causing the ref to count the pin. Nice opener from these women, who gave it their all to tear each other apart.

Bronson Reed vs. Tony Nese. Reed wins with a top rope splash

The story given behind this match is that, during a “dark match”, Tony Nese mocked Bronson Reed by delivering a beatdown to Leon Ruff, who Reed recently had a match with and showed Ruff respect afterwards. Reed took exception to the dastardly deeds of Nese, and challenged him to step up.

Reed and Nese have an okay match, but not anything to write home about. Reed clearly has the power advantage over Nese, and he uses it to counter most of Nese’s moveset. Nese gets a brief window of an advantage, but it’s quickly snuffed out by Oz-zilla, who finishes Nese off with a top rope diving splash.

Backstage, Robert Stone is trying to recruit Shotzi Blackheart to join the Robert Stone Brand. Shotzi turns him down, which infuriates Stone to the point that he throws his drink over his shoulder. Unfortunately for Stone, Killian Dain is standing nearby, and is the one that gets splashed by the beverage. Dain proceeds to whip Stone like a ragdoll into a crate. Blackheart hops into her tank and runs over the leg of the downed Stone, who screams in agony as referees come to try to lift the tank off his leg.

Johnny Gargano vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott. Gargano wins with the One Final Beat

Johnny Gargano, being one of the absolute best NXT has to offer, goes out and does it again this week, putting over Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, who is easily one of the most underrated stars on the roster. Scott doesn’t pick up the victory, but after the performance he turns in on this night, Swerve proves that he can go toe to toe with the best that NXT has to offer.

The match starts off with Gargano and Scott exchanging quick chain-wrestling holds before Swerve gets Gargano to back down after countering a hurricanrana attempt. Both men get out of the ring, and it’s a stalemate as they stand off, while the referee administers the ten count. As they roll back into the ring, Gargano tries playing sneaky and goes for the One Final Beat, which Scott counters, then takes Gargano out with the Fosbury Flop.

After the break, the action picks up to break-neck speed, as Gargano and Scott continue to trade big moves, including Scott hitting the House Call and the JML Driver on Gargano, but only garnering near falls. Gargano counters a top rope attack, leaving Scott on the top turnbuckle. Scott fights off Gargano and goes for a double foot stomp, but Gargano evades and sends Scott into the corner post. Gargano takes down Scott with the poisonrana on the outside, then rolls Scott back in to hit the One Final Beat to finish the match.

Even in defeat, Swerve was made in this match. Being able to go move for move with Johnny Wrestling shows that Scott has what it takes to be a big star in NXT.

Leaving a “Legado”. Mercedes runs over Garrett. NXT is N-X-Lee

Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, and Raul Mendoza) vs. Breezango (Fandango and Tyler Breeze) & Drake Maverick. Legado del Fantasma win via the Phantom Driver from Escobar

To me, this match is largely forgettable, mostly because of the result. Drake Maverick has been clamoring to get his hands on Santos Escobar after the vicious attack a few weeks back. Maverick gained himself some allies in the form of Breezango last week, which led to the match this week.

Escobar spends most of the match avoiding getting in the ring with Maverick, playing the cowardly heel role to perfection. Maverick’s passion and intensity boils over until he finally gets his hands on the NXT Cruiserweight Champion. From there, Maverick explodes with a fury of punches and clotheslines. Wilde and Mendoza try to interject, but are cut off by Breeze and Fandango.

Maverick goes to the top rope, but his legs are cut out from under him by a superkick from Escobar. The champ takes out Maverick with the Phantom Driver to secure the victory. Very underwhelming ending for this match, considering how fired up Maverick was to get some retribution. I know Maverick still wants a shot at the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, so hopefully they can get to that sooner rather than later, because the steam from this feud is running out fast.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Santana Garrett. Martinez wins with the Fisherman’s Buster

Poor Santana Garrett. So much potential, but just can’t get the chips to fall in her favor. Garrett is matched up against the re-debuting Mercedes Martinez, who borrowed her entrance attire from Jimmy Havoc. There’s not much to say about this match, as it’s purely a squash to show off the power and dominance of Martinez, who picks up the win with the Fisherman’s Buster.

Next week on NXT, Damian Priest finally gets his hands on Cameron Grimes. Also, Tegan Nox gets her title shot as she goes one-on-one with NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai.

Winner Take All Match – NXT North American Champion Keith Lee vs. NXT Champion Adam Cole. Lee wins with the Big Bang Catastrophe

Sitting here writing this, I am still in shock at what I saw transpire in the Main Event of NXT. Ever since this was announced, I thought, “Something shady is going to happen. There’s no way this ends clean. There’s no way they put both belts on one guy.” But it did. And they did. And now, things have truly been shaken up in NXT.

Lee and Cole have an absolute barnburner of a match, starting off with Lee clearly holding the power advantage over Cole. It’s only when Lee tries to pounce Cole through the barricade and misses, that the momentum shifts back to Cole’s favor. Back in the ring, Cole keeps the pressure on Lee, taking him down with shots to the head, and multiple neckbreakers. Cole talks a lot of trash to Lee, calling him “nothing” and saying “you’ll never win the big one”. Cole goes for the Last Shot, but Lee evades and hits a huge powerslam.

Lee attempts a top rope attack, but Cole counters and hits a Backstabber. Cole goes up top himself, but Lee headbutts Cole, causing him to fall to the apron. Lee gets to the second rope and deadlift suplexes Cole back into the ring, gaining a near fall. Cole recovers and hits the ropes, but Lee counters with a HUGE Spirit Bomb, but Cole reaches out with a finger to get the rope break. Lee pounces Cole after dodging a bicycle kick, then hits a second rope moonsault for ANOTHER near fall!

The moment we’re all waiting for…

Lee follows up by trying for the Big Bang Catastrophe, but Cole gets out and superkicks Lee, then hits him with the Last Shot, but Lee kicks out. Lee takes Cole down with a vicous clothesline that almost ends badly, as Cole doesn’t fully rotate and lands hard on the back of his neck. Cole manages to recover and hit the Panama Sunrise on Lee, but still only a two count! Cole is in shock!

Cole pulls down the knee pad and hits a second Last Shot, then goes to the middle rope, shouting at Lee to stand up. As Cole goes for another Panama Sunrise, Lee counters with another Spirit Bomb. Lee screams out in triumph as he hoists up Cole, plants him with the Big Bang Catastrophe, and pins him one, two, three!

As the confetti falls and Lee celebrates in the ring, Karrion Kross and Scarlett are shown watching from afar. Kross laughs, then turns serious as he walks off camera, and NXT ends with Keith Lee holding both the NXT North American Championship AND the NXT Championship!

Afterthoughts

Wow, what a way to end The Great American Bash! Night One was a great show, but the story of the event will easily be the crowning of the FIRST EVER double champion in NXT history. Where we go from here, I have no idea, and that’s what’s so great about this scenario. When you have more questions than answers, the stories are serving their purpose.

What’s next for Adam Cole? How are the titles treated, with Keith Lee holding both belts? Was Karrion Kross eyeing Cole or Lee, since he has beef with both men? Those answers will come in the future, but for now, the top guy in NXT is Keith Lee, and we shall BASK IN HIS GLORY! -Josh L.

Friday Night SmackDown:

A week before The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, had a pair of big tag team matches. A replay of a match that most saw. AJ Styles is left speechless after finding out his opponent. SmackDown Karaoke leads to an impromptu match. Jeff Hardy accepts a challenge for Extreme Rules. Let’s get started right now!

Miz TV leads to a bout. The terrific tandem meet the BBF’s. Replay of Money in the Bank match.

A trolling Miz leads to Jeff Hardy vs Miz. Hardy wins via Roll Up pin fall.

John Morrison is co-hosting with his BFF for ever, Miz on Miz TV. They great Jeff Hardy, but immediately push his buttons. Jeff states that he will never succumb to his addictions again and will not disappoint the fans. This leads to Miz brainstorming a match that could encompass all of his struggles and suggests a Bar Fight. Morrison adds that Jeff can beat his physical enemy and mental one at the same time. Jeff accepts, but states that he is sorry for letting his fans down again and attack Miz and Morrison.

After the commercial break, a match between Miz and Jeff begins. Hardy started off strong, but Miz regained control with a trip that send Jeff face first to the mat. The Miz kept control with his series of move set, which included the “It Kicks”. Jeff retaliates with the Twist of Fury and Morrison pulls out Miz, this lead to Hardy to Body Splash them outside. Soon, Sheamus arrives on the display with a beer, toasting Jeff. Miz finding his opportunity to strike, rolls up Jeff. However, The Enigmatic One reverses the pin and seals the win. This was kind of sloppy, the points were made, but the execution was just meh.

Sasha Banks/Bayley vs Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross. Bayley wins via Roll Up pin fall.

What is up with the power of a Roll Up pin fall?! I remember in at a time , where this was used for a surprise win, nowadays, it is as common as a McDonald’s french fry. Well, here we go.. after an attack from Nikki Cross, Bayley and Banks are in control. Until Cross tapped into her crazed power bank and took it to the champs. The BBF’s regaining control with Bliss and her Double Sliding Dropkick, we go to another commercial break.

After the second break, Bliss was in no-woman’s land as Sasha and Bayley isolate her. After a few minutes of punishment, Bliss fought back. Hitting the Double Knees and giving the hot tag to Cross. Nikki goes wild with a Bulldog and ramming Bank’s head into the turnbuckle. Bayley countered Nikki’s Tornado DDT, but Cross hits a big Neckbreaker. After the move the SmackDown Women’s champ, rolled up Cross for the win. Good match, bad final moments… meh.

Replay time!

This was a replay of Braun Strowman vs Bray Wyatt at Money in the Bank, in which it was Firefly Fun House Bray and not The Fiend. I am pretty sure anyone who is reading this knows what happened. However, just in case.. here is a recap. The two brawled, Wyatt plays mind games. It looks that Strowman rejoins the Family an the puppets are happy. Braun takes off his sheep mask an Powerslams Bray to retains his title. I get it, with this show being filmed when there was a big outbreak of COVID-19, WWE had to postponed filming. This resulted in a few planned matches to be filmed the following week.

So we get this filler and they hope it will entice the Extreme Rules bout between the two even more enticing. Note to WWE, it didn’t work, you all should’ve done another Firefly Fun House, but with Braun hosting it. I only say “with Braun hosting”, because Bray is on time off. Spending time with his family and newborn baby girl, Hyrie. Congratulations Bray and JoJo!

Karoke filler falls flat. AJ is worried about his next opponent. New Day, Cesaro/Shinsuke end the night.

Why? Lacey Evans vs Naomi. Match ends in a No Contest.

Jey Uso is the host of SmackDown Karoke. Ueah, it went well as you expected to. Honestly, I liked Tamina’s take of HHH’s song, it was comical and RIP Lemmy. However this all for a match that made Lacey Evans a heel again. Naomi wont the event, singing Dusty Rhodes’ song. Umm, that’s a jab at Cody, WWE. Anyways, this lead to a shorth bout between Naomi and Evans. Lacey was in charge for most of the “match”, but Naomi pushe Lacey out of the ring. This lead to Dana Brookes and Tamina to get involved. This lead to a “No Contest”, as the brawl took over. What a waste of talent. The over selling of Tamina, proves that WWE is using her wrong. The force heel turn of Lacey is… wel… FORCED! I am done with this segment.

AJ is a lost for words.

AJ Styles, the WWE Intercontinental champion can not be touched. As what Styles think. The Phenomenal One goes on about that there is no one that can challenge him for his title. Styles believes he will be champ for a long time. Until Sarah Schreiber informs AJ that he will defend his title. Styles will defend his title next week against…. MATT RIDDLE! AJ is not happy and is a lost for words. This is going to be a BANGER OF A MATCH!

New Day vs Cesaro/Shinsuke. No Contest.. again.

WWE pulled a double “No Contest”, but it felt at home in this match. As Shinsuke and Cesaro felt like an intimating force for New Day. However, this was a darn good match! I honestly can say New and Cesaro can pull off a good match in their sleep This not a knock to Nakamura, as he can do the same. Yet, it is Cesaro’s talent to team with ANY ONE and make a great tag team. Honestly, I do not know why WWE creative can not make single stars out of ALL four of these men.I get that WWE doesn’t want to split New Day, but Shin and Cesaro deserve singles push all the time. With them together, they need to have the belt and have a run.

Nak took  control early on with his String Style strikes. Cesaro is tagged in and just pummels Kofi Kingston. Big E eventually gets the hot tag and takes it to Nakamura and lands the Unicorn Stomp with Kofi! With Shin and Cesaro outside, Big E launches Kofi in the air to take out both of them! After the break, Kofi hits the SOS, but no pin. After the control Cesaro had, Kofi hits a big Double Knee, but Shin breaks it up. What followed was a big brawl and the ref called the match. A No Contest, what BS! Afterwards, Cesaro, Nak sent Kofi and Big E into barriers, then stood tall. I get making the legitimacy of Shin and Ces a thing. However, this felt too contrived.

Afterthoughts.

This was nothing but a filler show. I can not blame WWE to a point, but if WWE had better COVID-19 practices in place, this may have nit happen. Now, the WWE are scrambling to film and make their story go forward. After a BRILLIANT Great American Basn, night two. You would think WWE had a plan for the other shows. Even though Vince and now Bruce Prichard are running the shows. It is hard to believe that they have absolute say in NXT. HHH, do your thing, because NXT is the most watchable show out the three. If this continues, SmackDown will follow the Raw path and lose viewership like Raw.-David G.

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