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

NXT Takeover: Respect

Dash and Dawson spend surprising amount of time in control over. They take out Finn early and work over Joe. Finn comes back a bit but they start to work Finns leg mercilessly. Dash and Dawson use great teamwork to keep Finn isolated and get a close 2 count off a big elbow drop.

Joe gets in and tide turns immediately. Joe hits a Muscle Buster but Finn demands a tag and hits Coup DE Grace for the win but messes up his knee, even though Joe had it covered.

Jordan and Gable vs Rhyno and Corbin next. Jordan and Gable deserve to win but I won't be surprised if Corbin goes over. Jordan and Gable control Rhyno early, working over his arm a lot. But once Corbin comes in, he takes control of Gable. Jordan gets in and takes out both Rhyno and Corbin. But surprise surprise, Corbin nails Gable with the End of Days for the win.

Asuka totally destroys Dana Brooke in her debut match. Brooke and Emma tried their best but Asuka had an answer for Emma and picked apart Dana the whole match. She showed off her impressive skills with a varied offense and won with a crossface chicken wing called the Asuka Lock. Emma tries to get her in face but she backs down from Asuka.

A trainer looks at Balor's knee and Joe doesn't look happy. Could this be what begins the split between Joe and Balor? That Balor put his own glory ahead of their team?

Nia Jax - next week. She’s gonna squash people since she’s a monster (5’11 but I guess that’s monster for a lady). Her name is Lina Fanene and she’s The Rock’s cousin so you know she’s gonna have a rocket strapped to her back.

I’ve seen pictures from live shows where she worked as a heater for Devon Taylor, who apparently wrestles on live shows. As far as I can tell, she’s a homegrown WWE product, never done indies. Though I saw some people online quoting Bayley as having said she wrestled her on the indies. But Wikipedia lists NXT as her first wrestling company so that’s what I’m going with.

Tyler Breeze vs Apollo Crews. Breeze trying his best but he can't counter the size and speed of Crews. Crews showing impressive strength with a stalling vertical suplex. But Breeze uses his NXT experience over Crews to get an advantage, work over Crews back and locks in a sharpshooter.

Crews gets the ropes but Breeze hangs on til 4. Been a very physical match and neither guy has much left. Crews flips over ropes and tweaked his back opening him up for a Supermodel Kick but Breeze only gets a 2. Crews hits gorilla press but Breeze blocks moonsault and small package Crews for 2.

Crews catches Breeze with a boot as he ran into the corner and hefts him up into an Atomic Drop position then spins him into a powerbomb for the win.

Just a really great match overall from both guys. Crews has proven he's already top tier talent. And Breeze proves once again that he deserves better.

Why don't they get a secondary title that changes hands more often than the NXT Title? How about an open challenge belt or a TV title that must be defended every other week and at Takeovers?

Dusty Classic finals - Balor starts against Rhyno. Gutsy move by the champ. Corbin and Joe get in and Joe is beating up Corbin easily. Corbin gets an opening and hits a big move, letting Rhyno in to dominate. Balor gets back in but his knee gives out and gets worked over.

Joe back in like a house of fire but Rhyno surprises with a Gore that Finn breaks up. Joe and Balor win with Muscle Buster and Coup de Grace and Cody, Dustin, Eden, Dusty’s daughter and other Rhodes, or Runnels I guess, are there to present the trophy.

Sasha Banks vs Bayley video package before the main event. Really good despite this garbage BMTH song.

Lots of quick pin attempts in the early goings of this match. Sasha trying to work over Bayley's arm, especially after she lands hard on her neck and shoulder in what looked like a botched suplex. But the Boss tricks Bayley into a handshake and takes control. Sasha tries to use the ropes on a pin. Sasha rakes Bayley's eyes about 21:20 for the first fall!

But then around 19 min, Bayley ties it up with a Belly to Bayley. Sasha works over Bayley outside, throwing her into the steps numerous times in front of Izzy. Sasha takes Bayley up the ramp and throws her into the LED screen and gets a count out win at 15:45. Bayley is crawling back and Izzy is bawling.

It seems like Bayley could get counted out again but Sasha throws Bayley back in and goes to work. Sasha with a deep Boston crab and working over Bayley's back but somehow Bayley gets a pin with a surprise hurricanrana pin combo about 13. Bayley starts to turn the momentum in her favor, getting a few 2 counts. Crowd getting a little big for their britches.

Steph is there and the smarks tried to start a "Better than Raw" chant that died quick. They've been really vocal in this match and it's getting a little grating.  This match has gone to a different level. Bayley catches a tope and hits a B2B on the floor, after using the stairs to launch a flying clothesline.

Bayley hits a B2B from the top but Sasha gets her foot on the rope. Sasha flips out of a top rope Bayleycanrana and hits her own belly to belly then locks in the Banks Statement with 2 min left. Bayley tries to reverse out but Banks kicks off the ropes and locks in again at 1. They battle for position and Bayley rolls out, locks in a sort of Rings of Saturn or the lock that Sabre used to win BOLA and Sasha verbally taps out with 3 seconds left.

The NXT locker room is on the stage and they give Sasha and Bayley big bouquets and both are teary eyed. Sara Del Rey and Regal there with Sasha and Bayley standing tall in the ring is such a great image to end on.

More NXT:

I saw pictures online from recent NXT live events where former indy wrestler Athena starting working matches for NXT. There was conflicting reports about the name she was going by (I’ve heard Athena, I’ve heard Adrienne Reese, and others) but the results I saw had her teaming with NXT trainee Gionna Daddio (who you may remember as the crazy Tyler Breeze fan that ran from the crowd to Breeze during his entrance at a Takeover but hasn’t wrestled on TV yet) in a losing effort against Alexa Bliss and Peyton Royce.

ROH DA 10/7

Highlighting matches from Field of Honor at Brooklyn MCU park, the same night as Takeover Brooklyn.

Time Splitters out first to take on The Briscoes. Looks like a pretty big crowd despite running against NXT. Briscoes control early but Time Splitters work together to get back into it. But the Briscoes don't go away and keep it back and forth. Eventually, Shelley and Kushida work over Mark a bit but then Jay gets back in and takes control.

Looks like the stiffness of the Briscoes broke a tooth in Shelley's mouth. Kushida works over Mark’s arm and gets Hoverboard Lock but Shelley can't atop Jay from breaking it up. TS take control, take out Jay and hit a combo splash and moonsault on Mark but only get 2. Jay in and they clear Shelley, hit Kushida with a crucifix bomb neck breaker combo but only get 2. Mark Saito suplex to Kushida, followed by a Jay Driller from Jay to Shelley for the win. And they shake hands after.

Next week, Watanabe vs Jay Lethal TV Title match.

Up next, gauntlet match for TV #1 contender. Oh wait, seems they are only showing the end of the gauntlet match, Cedric vs Watanabe. And this is how he earned the title shot.

So...they told us Watanabe was going to win before they showed the match? What's the point of that? I know these shows were filmed weeks and weeks ago but you should still act like the TV product is current and relevant. Don't negate the show's relevance by assuming your audience already knows what happens anyway. Anyway, Moose comes out, who was eliminated earlier, and distracts Cedric and Veda. This let's Watanabe hit a German and a half nelson, half arm bar suplex on Cedric, followed by an STO for the win.

Main event time now - Roderick Strong vs IWGP Heavyweight Champ Kazuchika Okada. Crowd is split as they feel each other out. Okada hits a low dropkick on a seated Roddy to take advantage early. But Roddy is able to turn things around easily. Roddy sends Okada to the outside and goes to work, dropping him back first on the railing into the crowd then chest first on another. Okada struggles to get back in and when he does, Roddy is on him and starts to work Okada's back.

Okada starts to get back into it and the action is just as intense as it was at the beginning. Okada sets Roddy on top and sends him crashing to the ground with a dropkick. Back from commercial and Roddy won't go away, and drives the back of Okada into the apron and rolls him in but only gets a 2. They trade stiff shits and Okada staggers first.

Roddy hits a running step up knee followed by a high impact forearm in the corner. Roddy sets him on top. Okada blocks and Roddy with a big enzi followed by a superplex but only gets 2. Stronghold right as Okada kicks out but he gets out and they start to hammer each other.

Roddy hits three jumping knees followed by a Sick Kick but Okada kick out at 2.999 and the crowd can't believe it. Out of nowhere, Okada hits a Tombstone. And then another. Rainmaker pose and goes for Rainmaker clothesline. Roddy throws a knee, Okada catch into a German followed by a Rainmaker clothesline for the win. What a crazy match. They advertised the rest of Field of Honor on VOD which sounds awesome.

ROH DA TV 10/1

-Matt Sydal vs ACH (Best of 5 #4, ACH 2-1)

-Beer City Bruiser and Silas Young vs The Boys

-Watanabe challenges Jay Lethal for the ROH TV Title 

New Japan Pro Wrestling

King of Pro Wrestling results

Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Kushida, Mascara Dorada, Ryusuke Taguchi and Tiger Mask IV def. David Finlay, Jay White, Juice Robinson, Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu

(I want so much for NJPW to do something with the Young Lions but time and time again, they do the job to the vets)

Tomoaki Honma def. Yoshi-Hashi

Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata, and TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) def. Captain New Japan, Hirooki Goto, Katsuyori Shibata and Kota Ibushi

(Captain New Japan took the pin here but still – what’s the point of putting a team of old guys [including Nakanishi who moves so slow he seems to be going in reverse] over a team with two guys whose pushes inexplicably end just as they seem to start [Goto/Shibata] and a guy who came into NJPW super-hot and has since done nothing of note [Ibushi].)

reDRagon def. RPG Vice to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles

(This match was going well then ended out of nowhere. I don’t think it was supposed to end when it did because Junior tag matches usually build to an explosive finish and this match just sorta ended.)

Kenny Omega def. Matt Sydal to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

CHAOS (Kazushi Sakuraba, Shinsuke Nakamura and Toru Yano) def. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson)

Tomohiro Ishii def. Togi Makabe to win the NEVER Openweight Championship

(Honma came out afterwards and it looks like he’s the next in line for a NEVER title shot. He got his first G1 win over Ishii this year – can he score another win over Ishii with gold on the line?)

Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Tetsuya Naito to retain his January 4^th Tokyo Dome title shot

(In this match, another man dressed in the same Los Ingobernables gear that Naito dresses in accompanied him to the ring. This man was revealed to be Takaaki Watanabe, who is now going by the name EVIL.)

Kazuchika Okada def. AJ Style to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship

The annual Super Junior Tag Team Tournament has been announced for the Power Struggle tour. 8 teams will compete in a single elimination tournament which culminates at Power Struggle on Nov. 7. The participating teams are:

Tiger Mask IV and Jushin “Thunder” Liger

Ryusuke Taguchi and Mascara Dorada

RPG Vice

reDRagon

The Young Bucks

Time Splitters

Kenny Omega and Chase Owens

Matt Sydal and Ricochet.

Two Road to Power Struggle have been announced for NJPWWorld.com so far.  They are the first two shows of the tour:

Road to Power Struggle, October 23

Saitama/Tokorozawa Civic Gymnasium

-Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV and Captain New Japan vs. Juice Robinson, Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu

-reDRagon vs. David Finlay and Jay White

-Ryusuke Taguchi, Mascara Dorada, Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA vs. The Young Bucks vs Chase Owens and Kenny Omega

-Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto) vs. Bullet Club (Tama Tonga and Cody Hall)

-Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Gedo

-CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano and YOSHI-HASHI) vs. Bullet Club (Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows and Bad Luck Fale)

-Hiroshi Tanahashi, Matt Sydal and Ricochet vs. Kazuchika Okada and RPG Vice (Beretta and Rocky Romero)

Road to Power Struggle, October 24

Korakuen Hall, Tokyo

-Hirooki Goto, Katsuyori Shibata, Togi Makabe and Captain New Japan vs. Yohei Komatsu, Sho Tanaka, Jay White and David Finlay

-CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI and Kazushi Sakuraba) vs. Bullet Club (Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga)

-Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma and Juice Robinson vs. Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Gedo

Super Junior Tag Tournament First Round Matches

-Jushin “Thunder” Liger & Tiger Mask IV vs. reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly)

- RPG Vice (Rocky Romero and Beretta) vs. Kenny Omega and Chase Owens

-Mascara Dorada and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson)

-The Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA) vs. Matt Sydal and Ricochet

The semifinals of the tournament will take place on November 1st at Korakuen Hall.

Power Struggle, November 7^th

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

-Super Junior Tag Tournament Final

-Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL (Takaaki Watanabe)

-Toru Yano and YOSHI-HASHI vs. AJ Styles and Bad Luck Fale

NEVER Openweight Championship

Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Tomoaki Honma

-Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi vs. Kazuchika Okada and Kazushi Sakuraba

IWGP Intercontinental Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Karl Anderson

Juice Robinson will be working in NJPW full time going forward. This is awesome news for the former CJ Parker. Parker left NXT because he didn’t like his direction and wanted to get real world experience on his own and now he’s going to be learning from some of the best pro wrestlers (not sports entertainers) on the planet.

And this just proves to me that if higher level WWE guys left, they could easily find a home in NJPW. Daniel Bryan. Dolph Ziggler. Cesaro. These guys and so many others who are being misused in WWE could but would tear it up in New Japan.

Indy Wrestling

WWNLive/Evolve

Sami Zayn will be appearing at this weekend’s Evolve 49 and 50 events in Queens and Deer Park, respectively. Last week during a conference call, Triple H said he looks at Evolve as a feeder system for NXT and WWE and said he loves what Evolve does. More info can be found at dgusa.tv.

-They say he will be there for a meet and greet on one of the nights and will make a special in-ring appearance that will NOT be broadcast on the iPPV – it will be a special treat for live fans.

- In response, Kevin Owens blocked Gabe Sapolsky on Twitter

Evolve 49

Queens, NY

I Quit Match

Ethan Page vs Johnny Gargano

(If Gargano loses, he leaves WWN forever)

Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher and TJ Perkins vs RPG Vice (Baretta and Rocky Romero)

For a title shot at Evolve 50

Drew Gulak vs Trevor Lee

Anthony Nese vs Andrew Everett vs Matt Cage vs Peter Kassa

Tracy Williams vs Willie Mack

Matt Riddle vs Jonathan Gresham

Evolve 50

Deer Park, NY

Evolve Championship

Timothy Thatcher (c) vs Winner of Gulak/Lee

RPG Vice (Baretta and Rocky Romero) vs The Premier Athlete Brand (Caleb Konley and Anthony Nese)

Willie Mack vs Loser of Gulak/Lee

TJ Perkins vs Tracy Williams

Matt Riddle vs Chris Dickinson

Andrew Everett vs Peter Kassa

Ethan Page vs Matt Cage

Johnny Gargano noted on Twitter that after Tuesday, you'll no longer be able to buy the “Johnny Wrestling” t-shirt. If I had to guess – this indicates that he’s signing a full-time WWE deal and they are taking the nickname for themselves, like they did with Pac’s “Man That Gravity Forgot.”

This Page/Gargano I Quit match with the “loser leaves town” stip on Gargano is just another indication that he is possibly headed to WWE full time. Evolve/DG USA has been his home promotion for a while (for example, he’s the longest reigning DG USA Open the Freedom Gate title holder ever) so if he’s “leaving,” there’s really only one place that he could end up.

Absolute Intense Wrestling

“Big Trouble in Little Cleveland” this Friday

-No card announced yet but there is a big reason to check out AIW this weekend. Wrestling legend Terry Funk will be at this show for a special meet and greet and autograph signing.

Combat Zone Wrestling

CZW Tangled Web results

Pre-show

-“The Pectoral Poseidon” Rex Lawless (who may just go by Poseidon in CZW) and his Sea Friends def. Frankie Pickard and the Dub Boys

-Lio Rush def. AARON Williams

iPPV

-Sozio def. Pepper Parks

-AR Fox def. Joe Gacy

-Team Tremendous def. Beaver Boys to retain the tag titles

-Joey Janella def. Tim Donst to win the CZW Wired Championship

-Greg Excellent def. Dick Justice to win the honorary CZW Junior Heavyweight Championship

-Masada def. Rory Gulak

-JT Dunn def. David Starr

-Matt Tremont def. Blk Jeez to retain the CZW World Heavyweight Championship

(Afterward, DJ Hyde announced that since there’s no #1 contender for the World title, he’s making Masada vs AR Fox vs Devon Moore vs Matt Tremont in Cage of Death for the title)

-Nation of Intoxication def. OI4K in a Tangled Web match

CZW notes

-Jake Crist is apparently retiring after “Cerebral” on Nov. 7 in Dayton, Ohio.

-Not sure why DJ Hyde made the COD main event at this show. He said it was “since there’s no #1 contender”…even though there’s two shows between Tangled Web and COD XVII (Cerebral on Nov. 7 and Night of Infamy on Nov. 21).

CZW vs IWS

“Freedom to Fight”

Vampiro, Green Phantom, and the Hardcore Ninjas vs Nation of Intoxication (Danny Havoc, Devon Moore, Lucky 13 and Conor Claxton)

CZW World Championship No DQ Match

Matt Tremont (c) vs PCP F’n Crazy Manny

CZW Tag Team Championship rematch

Team Tremendous (c) vs Tabernak de Team

DJ Hyde vs Shayne Hawk

“Chainsaw” Joe Gacy vs Exess

Sozio vs Rory Gulak

Speaking of IWS

Mike Bailey is getting a shot in AAA and Smash Wrestling announced that he wouldn't be on the Something Different show, which is Oct 16. Also have a show Nov 7 that is an anniversary show. Rumors are he's signed full time. Don't know for sure. It's great that he gets a shot in AAA but I hope he doesn't leave the US Indy scene for too long. Then again - Bailey in AAA means Lucha Underground is a possibility. 

Someone on Wreddit said that it was IWS who announced Bailey’s AAA deal but I don’t think IWS has much of a web presence anymore so it might be hard to verify if that’s true. (I looked up IWS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram but I couldn’t find any info from them about it)

https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/3oice7/speedball_mike_bailey_signs_with_aaa/