Wednesday Wrestling Minutes - Your Weekly Source for NXT, Lucha Underground, Ring of Honor and Independent Wrestling News

NXT, 9/16

Tyler Breeze out first on this week’s episode of NXT. Rich Brennan mentions they’re back in Full Sail on the road to Takeover. Could mean there isn’t clips from Dusty Classic matches or it could just be another way to intro the show. Byron Saxton back on NXT commentary this week. Brennan says he was on assignment but Saxton says he was deep undercover. I wish that was a tease about NXT infiltrating the main roster to literally take it over but it was probably just an off-the-cuff joke.

Recap the Dusty Classic match last week where Breeze and Bull lost to Gargano and Ciampa. Adam Rose interrupts Breeze’s theme music and comes to the ring in black trunks and a weird vest thing. He’s wearing glasses too which is different. He says the WWE Universe took a big steaming poop on the Adam Rose party and now it’s his turn to take a big, hot, steaming poop on NXTs party and says there’s no more fun allowed. Lots of poop jokes - looks like Rose is figuring out how to pander to Vince’s taste in humor.

I guess he’s teaming with Breeze because next Bull comes out with a mic. Says Breeze looks surprised to see him and that Breeze attacking him last week was no accident, just like what he’s gonna do to Breeze tonight is no accident.

(I’m just realizing something - how adeptly WWE managed to sidestep the “Bull-shit” chants he was getting as a heel [for example at The Tower shows I was at]. They didn’t ask people not to do it or beg them to stop, but basically used the same chant, tweaked it a little, and made it useful to them and to Bull’s character and ensuring a chant with a curse word in it didn’t catch on in their family friendly programming.)

Breeze asks who Bull thinks he is to interrupt what was about to happen (what was about to happen?) and the crowd starts chanting ‘Bull is gorgeous’. Breeze says you want to talk about accidents, the only accident was them being paired together last week. Oh, and another accident was the day Bull was born.

Bull asks Rose to leave so he can fight Breeze, but Rose says he’s not out there for Bull - he’s out there to poop on Breeze’s party for what Breeze did to him a few months ago (which was….?) and then slaps Bull. Bull hits a few punches and a standing splash which sends Rose out. Breeze attacks him from behind but when Bull tries to fight back, Breeze runs and Bull yells to get back here and that he wants a match.

Breeze shoots a selfie video telling Bull if he wants a match next week, he’s on.

Next, Tye Dillinger heads to the ring. He takes on Danny Burch who gets the jobber entrance. Dillinger takes control early and the crowd is really behind the Perfect 10. Burch knocks down Dillinger and starts to mock his Perfect 10 persona and locks in an arm lock to keep Tye on the mat, but he fights up and hits a clothesline. Dillinger pulls his knee pad down pulls Burch’s head down on his exposed knee and gets the pin.

Backstage, an off-camera voice asks Baron Corbin and Rhyno if they’re worried about Gargano and Ciampa pulling an upset on them like they did last week. Rhyno says they did shock the world last week but he’s more worried about what he and Corbin will do to them in the ring.

Corbin says his partnership with Rhyno is built on respect and he doesn’t know who Gargano and Ciampa are or where they came from - but he doesn’t really care. They are looking straight through Gargano and Ciampa and they will win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Short video package for Kana who makes her first NXT TV appearance next week and they give away her new name - Asuka.

Apollo Crews out next. He takes on Solomon Crowe who seems to get a mixed reaction from the crowd. They shake hands to start to Crowe isn’t working heel, at least at the start of the match.

They trade a few holds and Crowe seems to be getting frustrated. Crews wants another handshake but Crowe kicks his hand away. Crews showing off his explosive agility in this one. And Rich makes a good point - asks if they think Crowe is jealous of Crews, since he’s been there a while but Crews walks in and starts getting opportunities right away.

Crowe gets sent to the outside and when Crews tries a baseball slide, Crowe traps him under the ring skirt and starts to hammer away on him until the ref has to drag Crowe away. Crowe throws him back in and gets a 2 count. Crowe begins to hammer away on Crews in the corner and grinds his forearm on Crews’ face. The crowd starts to get behind Apollo and he powers out of a chinlock to create some space. Crews catches Crowe with an enzi followed by the Crews Combo for the win.

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa are asked what they think of the statements by Corbin and Rhyno earlier and their chances tonight. Gargano says no one’s been giving him a chance his entire life. But you get one life and one chance and last week they showed the world they belong in NXT when they beat Bull and Breeze. Everyone was shocked - except for Gargano and Ciampa.

Ciampa says Rhyno and Corbin looking through them is an insult. They’ve earned their keep and being part of the Dusty Classic isn’t an accident and tonight they move one step closer to the finals.

Devin talks to Emma and Dana Brooke. Emma says now that the champ is back and new women are arriving, they seem to be missing out on all the fun. Dana says she and Emma decided to shake some things up and show the newbies who’s in charge and that playtime is over.

Short video of Sasha Banks driven to the NXT Zone showing she’s here tonight for Bayley’s return.

Kyle Edwards (formerly writer/journalist Arda Orcal) to give an update on the standings of the Dusty Classic. The final four will advance to the next Takeover special on Oct. 7 (final four teams or final four participants? Those are two different things).

Balor and Joe face Enzo and Cass in the next round. Dash and Dawson face winner of Blake and Murphy vs Vaudevillains (which somehow hasn’t happened yet even though they are starting on the second round tonight - no wait, I spoke too soon. They show clips from a live show where the Vaudevillains advance. Vv vs D&D next week). The Hype Bros defeated Alexander Wolfe and Noah Kekoa [who?] and face Jason Jordan and Chad Gable next. And finally, Corbin and Rhyno face Gargano and Ciampa tonight.

2nd round

Balor and Joe vs Enzo and Cass

Vaudevillains vs Dash and Dawson

Hype Bros vs Jason Jordan and Chad Gable

Rhyno and Corbin vs Gargano and Ciampa

Corbin and Rhyno vs Gargano and Ciampa up now. Gargano and Ciampa get a big reaction, but it’s probably because people hate Corbin and not necessarily because they know or like Gargano and Ciampa.

Ciampa and Rhyno start first. They hammer on each other with chops and Ciampa drives him to the corner. Ciampa takes him down with a clothesline and tags in Gargano. Gargano low bridges Corbin and hits a big tope through the ropes. He sends Rhyno out as well and does the same to him. Ciampa heads to the top rope and hits a big cross body on Corbin and Rhyno (followed by a big ovation and a “sign them both” chant).

Gargano and Ciampa working well together but Rhyno finally tags in Corbin and slams Ciampa with a big spinning side slam. Back from an ad for Table for 3 and Corbin is still working over Ciampa, keeping him in their corner and tags in Rhyno. (The ref is really enforcing the tag rope, making Gargano hold it for a tag and then to Rhyno later.) Rhyno stays on top of Ciampa, hammering him into the corner. Ciampa fights back and hits a top rope missile drop kick and Corbin and Gargano tag in.

Gargano hits several moves in a row and Gargano Taking It To The Streets (slingshot DDT) and gets a 2 count on Corbin. Ciampa moves to hold back Rhyno from breaking up the pin but Rhyno throws him outside. Corbin throws Gargano into a Gore but Gargano jumps over it and hits an enzi on Corbin and rolls him up for 2. Gargano hits the ropes and Corbin surprises him with an End of Days for the win and advance in the Dusty Classic (first final four team).

Devin talks to Vaudevillains about them facing Dash and Dawson next week when NXT debuts in Texas. They talk about how winning the Dusty Classic would be great and doing it as the NXT Tag Champs would be even more gratifying.

But then Alexa, Blake and Murphy show up. She says that next week instead, Blake and Murphy are invoking their rematch clause. And since she sent Blue Pants back to the clearance rack, the tag belts are coming back where they belong. Then Blake and Murphy struggle to say indubitably and just call the Vaudevillains idiots.

Yet ANOTHER Nia Jax vignette. Same one as always. And still no word about her debut.

Bayley returns to NXT for the first time since winning the Women’s title. Bayley runs through the crowd giving high fives and holding up the title as people give her a standing ovation. Bayley brings her superfan Izzy into the ring with her to celebrate with their belts and they give the crowd running high fives together.

When Bayley gets back in the ring, somehow Crazy Mary Dobsen is there out of nowhere, who they call Sarah Dobsen.

Sarah takes the early advantage, hammering on Bayley and keeping her on the mat. Commentary puts her over as one of the toughest female competitors (basically alluding to the deathmatches she’s done) and Rich even says “there’s something crazy about her offense.”

Sarah rolls through for a guillotine and Bayley trying to fight out but Sarah keeping her grounded. Bayley powers up and rams Sarah into the corner and frees herself then goes to work, knocking her down with a few double axe handles. Bayley gets the win with a Belly to Bayley.

After the win Bayley gets the mic but she can only say a few words before she’s interrupted by Sasha Banks. Sasha say she isn’t out there to belittle or berate her, she came to congratulate Bayley. Says that since Takeover, all she’s heard is how they stole the show. And that it was the greatest women’s match this company has ever seen.

And that’s great for everyone - except Sasha. She didn’t come here to put on great matches or steal the show, she came to be the best. And Bayley is good and earned Sasha’s respect - but that night only. For 3 seconds she was better and she still isn’t Sasha and now she has an even bigger point to prove.

But Bayley says Sasha isn’t the only one with a point to prove. And if Sasha wants a rematch, she has no problem with it. But Sasha says she has something to prove, that she is the best women’s wrestler in WWE. Bayley asks if she wants a 2-out-of-3 falls match but Sasha says no - she wants to beat Bayley again and again and again to prove that fairy tales don’t have a happy ending.

Then William Regal comes to the ring. He says he realizes the tremendous opportunity they have here and that on Oct. 7 at Takeover, Sasha will have her rematch. For the first time in NXT history, they will be the main event of Takeover (which basically means that Balor will be in the Dusty Classic finals - cause they want to put over the ladies but they’ll never put them on over an NXT Title match). But not only that - their match will be a 30 minute Ironman match.

Lucha Underground Season 2!
Announced Monday. Filming starts late 2015, airing begins early 2016. No other info

ROH DA 9/16

House of Truth out to face reDRagon, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champs. Jay Lethal on commentary for this one. ReDRagon getting a huge ovation.

O'Reilly and Diesel trade forearms to start and O'Reilly staggers slightly and Diesel sees his opening to attack. But O'Reilly isn't as loopy as he thinks and Kyle takes him down and locks in an arm bar. Fish tags in and stays on top of Diesel. But eventually HoT works to get Fish out and and Dijack tags in and they go to work on O'Reilly.

O'Reilly finally makes the tag and Fish goes to work on Diesel but it's not long before Dijack gets involved. ReDRagon chops down Dijack with leg kicks and then they hit several moves on Diesel. Fish locks in an ankle lock on Diesel and Dijack tries to break it up but Fish won't let go. O'Reilly wears down Dijack with a sleeper and Fish turns it into the Fish Hook for the win. Afterward, O'Reilly grabs for one of Lethal's belts and Lethal and Truth get pissed. ReDRagon gets in his face and refs and security have to break them up.

The Briscoes talk about their ASE open challenge. Jay calls Adam Page an annoying pimple on his ass but the mystery team is first. Mark says doesn't matter if it's King Kong and Godzilla, they're ready.

Cedric Alexander vs Dalton Castle next. Cedric out first with Veda and throws some streamers back at the crowd. Silas Young on commentary. Silas says Castle isn't a real man and when he wins at ASE, he's gonna teach the Boys how to be men.

Cedric hits the first move but it's all Castle after that. Dalton accidentally crotches himself and Veda chases off the Boys as they start to fan Castle. Castle tries to suplex Cedric to the outside but Veda holds Cedric's foot so that can't happen. The Boys fan her away but Cedric uses the opening to hit an enzi and take control.

Back from commercial, Cedric still in control and mocks Dalton. Dalton takes advantage of an opening and the momentum changes. Castle with a 2 count off a deadlift stalling German. The Boys fan Dalton but Silas pulls them off the apron. Cedric uses the opening to roll up Castle and win. Silas tries to drag the Boys to the back with him but Castle chases him off.

Stokely Hathaway comes out with the wrench to distract Cedric and Veda, allowing Moose to sneak behind them and spear Cedric.

Main event time, Kingdom takes on War Machine. Taven and Bennett try to surprise Hanson and Rowe with super kicks but WM shrug them off. WM go to work destroying Taven but Taven manages to stay in it. Bennett tags in but gets put down as easily as Taven. Hanson goes to hammer Bennett in the corner but Maria pulls him off. Hanson puts her on top of Bennett to hammer them both but Taven pulls him out and the momentum starts to shift. They keep Hanson in their corner but Rowe eventually gets in and starts to tear The Kingdom apart. But somehow the kingdom stays in it and eventually regains control and starts to work over Hanson.

Maria keeps getting involved, distracting the ref and WM until the Bucks show up and stop her. WM hits Taven with Fallout and gets the pin. The Bucks get in the ring and set up for a superkick party on Bennett as he checks on Taven. The Bucks celebrate after knocking out Bennett but The Addiction and Sabin hit the ring and take out the Bucks.

ROH ASE7 results

Dark match

-Watanabe and Will Ferrara def Donovan Dijack and Greg James. After, Dijack attacked James.

Main show

-Jay Lethal retains TV Title vs Bobby Fish

-Silas Young def Dalton Castle and dragged the boys to the back

-Briscoes open challenge. Decade comes out first but Whitmer says he's on commentary. Romantic Touch comes out, Briscoes beat him down and lights go out and ANX on screen and out comes Kenny King and Rhett Titus. Titus gives Touch a shot in a nod since Titus is usually Touch. ANX pin Mark after their finisher. I think Adam Page low blows Jay Briscoe after but the write up says Whitmer, even though that doesn't make sense.

-Moose def Cedric Alexander in a crazy brawl. Cedric accidentally kicked Veda which left him open to get speared through a table by Moose.

-ACH won the 3rd in a best of 5 against MattSydal to take a 2-1 lead

-The Kingdom win the tag titles. Someone dressed as the KRD laid out the Addiction. Bucks hit More Bang on Daniels but Taven blind tag in and surprise roll up Matt to win.

-AJ Styles is the new #1 contender in a crazy tornado match. Styles pinned Cole after a Styles Clash.

-Lethal retains World title. Big schmoz at the end. Dijack runs out, Cole chases him off. Then Cole superkick O'Reilly and Lethal Injection for the win. Afterward, the Kingdom joins Cole and they beat down O'Reilly more and show ends with them standing tall.

These next two were from dirtsheets so their legitimacy is suspect:

Sinclair is most likely buying The Tennis Network, which is on most major providers, and will likely start airing their American Sports Network (showing collegiate sports like baseball, basketball and others). So one would assume - lots of maybe and assumptions in this - that ROH could go on there as well.

Other news about ROH TV distribution

-Airing in France

-Getting TV in new markets, including Philly (which is good since I don’t know how much longer Destination America will continue with their wrestling experiment. TNA has clearly soured them on the sport)

http://dailywrestlingnews.com/roh-reveals-first-international-tv-deal-new-agreements-in-us-markets/

New Japan Pro Wrestling

Destruction in Okayama on Sept. 23

-Katsuyori Shibata, Yuji Nagata, Yohei Komatsu and Sho Tanaka def. Tetsuya Naito, Manabu Nakanishi, Jay White and David Finlay

-ReDRagon def. Jushin Thunder Liger and Mascara Dorada

NWA Jr Heavyweight Title Match

-Tiger Mask IV def. Steve Anthony to become the new champion

-Hiroshi Tanahashi and Matt Sydal defeated Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga

IWGP Tag Team Title Match

-Champions Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows def. Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan to retain

-Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero and Beretta def. Hirooki Goto, Tomoaki Honma, Captain New Japan, Alex Shelley and Ryusuke Taguchi

-Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano def. AJ Styles and Cody Hall

IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title Match

-Kenny Omega def. KUSHIDA to become the new champion

NEVER Openweight Title Match

-Champion Togi Makabe def. Kota Ibushi to retain

Destruction in Kobe, Sept 27

-David Finlay and Jay White vs Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu

-Captain New Japan, Juice Robinson and Manabu Nakanishi vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask and Yuji Nagata

-Chaos (RPG Vice, Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi-Hashi) vs. Mascara Dorada, Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma

-Bullet Club (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and Kenny Omega) vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Matt Sydal

-Katsuyori Shibata vs Tetsuya Naito

-Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Cody Hall and Tama Tonga) vs Chaos (Kazuchika Okada, Kazushi Sakuraba and Toru Yano)

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship

-reDRagon (c) vs Time Splitter (Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA)

Tokyo Dome Title Shot on the line

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Bad Luck Fale

IWGP Intercontinental Championship

-Hirooki Goto (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

War Machine had their shot at the GHC Heavyweight Tag Titles but lost to KES at the Pro Wrestling NOAH 15th Anniversary show on Saturday night.

Alpha-1 Wrestling

No King For Our Crown, Sept. 20

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

(This show continued the tournament to crown the first Alpha Male Champion. The finale of the tournament will be Final Act 6)

Alpha Male Tournament semifinal

-Alessandro Del Bruno def. Tyson Dux

Alpha Male Tournament semifinal

-Ashley Sixx def. Brent Banks

Alpha Male Tournament semifinal

-“All Ego” Ethan Page def. Joshua Singh

Alpha Male Tournament semifinal

-Scotty O’Shea def. Alex Daniels

Elimination match for Zero Gravity #1 Contender

Kobe Durst vs Heidi Lovelace vs Eric Cairnie vs Tyler Thomas

(Somehow ended in double DQ or count out so no winner)

Elimination match for the Alpha-1 Tag Team titles

The Oppression def. Theory of Evolution, Ginger Gang and the Goat Brigade

Zero Gravity Championship

Ricky Shane Page (c) def Cedric Alexander

House of Hardcore 13 in Philadelphia, PA

Tommy Dreamer and Yoshihiro Tajiri vs TNA Champion EC3 and Eric Young

Rhyno vs Abyss

Bobby Roode vs Austin Aries

Eddie Kingston vs Tommaso Ciampa

Also with:

Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, Lance Hoyt, The FBI (Little Guido, Tony Mamaluke), Thea Trinidad, Jade/Mia Yim, Justin Roberts and more

House of Hardcore 14 in Deer Park NY

Chris Hero vs Tajiri

Austin Aries and Bobby Rood issue open challenges

EC3 vs Tommy Dreamer street fight

Justin Credible to retire from active competition

Final bout will be against Tommy Dreamer at PWS on 11/20