Results for rajah.com by Frank Sarne, TheLariat.net
DUSTY RHODES TOURNAMENT MATCH: AUTHORS OF PAIN vs. TM61
Off we go as Rezar for the Authors of Pain and Shane Thorne start the match. Rezar whips Thorne into the corner and then drives a shoulder into his midsection, then tossed to the corner of his parter Akam who tags in. Akam now with a big knee to Thorne that corners him. Akam with a flapjack taking down Thorns, but he fights back with a few chops and gets a tag in to Nick Miller. Post tag TM61 double team Akam and drop him with a Russian leg-sweep and quickly follow up with a combination standing moonsault and fist-drop and send both AOP members to the floor. Big dice out of the ring by Miller and he tosses Akam back into the ring and goes for the cover, but he kicks out at just one. Nick Miller with a flurry of standing strikes but Akam cuts him off and toss him into their corner where tags in grounds Miller and works him over choking him over the second rope and we go to commercial.
We return to action with Rezar in control and dropping Miller to the mat continuing the beatdown of TM61. Rezar tags in Akam, more double teaming as he stomps on Miller who gets up but Rezar slams him to the mat. Akam stomps away on Miller again and then applies a rear naked choke. Miller elbows his way free and up from the mat and is able to counter dropping Akam with a DDT. Both teams buy em selves enough time to make tags and in come Rezar and Thorne. Shane Thorne with a pair of European uppercuts and comes off the rope with a lariat that drops Rezar. He pops back up but eats a dropkick into the corner where Shane Thorne delivers a running cannonball senton! Big Pop for TM61 the crowds really into this match.
Shane Thorne now goes for a suplex, but Rezar first blocks it which gets him a pair of elbow shots the the ribs and on attempt two he suplexes Rezar and covers him for 1..2..No! Two count. Thorne with momentum bounces off the ropes but runs into a huge big boot by Rezar. AOP makes the tag, getting Akam gets into the ring and they double-neck breaker Thorne and go for the cover, Miller in to break up the pin. AOP now with both men up looking for the Super Collider, but TM-61 counter from the powerbomb postion and send both members to the floor. Thorne with a pretty looking suplex on Akam and and Miller tags in and delivers a Blue Vengeance .TM61 covers for the win but Rezar breaks it up. Big turning point and really just an insane looking spot here with Akam powerbombing Thorne from inside the rin, onto the outside part of the apron bouncing off it and out of the ring! Wow. Akam with an exploder suplex to Nick Miller into the corner. The Authors Of Pain then destroy Miller with their finisher, The Last Chapter and cover him for the first round victory.
Winners: The Authors of Pain
My take:See it: While not as good as their finals match in 2016 but the rematch had a few entertaining back and forth moments and a memorable spot with that powerbomb by Akam. AOP impresssive in this one as they move on to the second round.
-William Regal in a video saying there are a lot of great tag teams in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic this year and then we see both Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong walk up. Dunne says the United Kingdom Championship is staying with him ato which Roderick says Dunne was the better man and congratulates him. Roderick says he will have another shot but then Adam Cole walks up and talks some trash to Strong and never winning big matches. Dunne interrupts and says Adam Cole hasn’t won anything since he’s been here and Cole gets in his face. Regal walks back up and asks if there is a problem, and Cole says no and walks away.
-Bianca Belair is warming up for her match backstage, which is next.
-A promo from Sanity in the back where Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe talk about winning the Tag Team tournament & Killian Dain says he will win over Aleister Black tonight.
Bianca Belair vs. Drew Renee
A confident Belair with a kick to the gut of the debuting Renee at the bell a follows that with a suplex. Belair delivers another suplex, and then slams Renee face first into the mat. Bianca with a fall-away power bomb and covers Drew Renee for the pin in about a minute.
Winner: Bianca Belair.
My take:Skip it: SQUASH. Bianca Belair with a page out of Bray Wyatt’s book from this past Monday. Nothing of note coming out of this other than maybe the fact that Belair is beginning the build a streak of these type of wins.
We see an interview with Lacey Evans. We hear that she is taking on Dakota Kai on next week’s show. Evans says she is ready to show NXT what a classy, sophisticated woman is all about, and then she mocks Kai for a bit. Shayna Baszler walks up and says she has been calling out Ember Moon for weeks, but she has gotten silence and she has figured out the answer.
We are reminded of tonight’s main event: Aleister Black vs. Killian Dain, and the winner will be the number one contender for the NXT Championship.
We see Heavy Machinery working out in the Performance Center and they hype up their match in the Dusty Classic.
The Sicilian Psychopath Tommaso Ciampa walks out to the stage, dragging his crutch behind him. He gets into the ring, and every time he goes to speak the crowd boos. Real heat for Ciampa as the crowd berates him. “You Suck” and chants of We Want Johnny now from the crowd which causes him throws down the microphone and leave the ring. On his way out Ciampa grabs a Johnny Wrestling sign from a fan and rips it in half. He then smashes the ripped up poster with his crutch for some more heat from this crowd.
Aleister Black and Killian Dain is up next.
Announced for next week:
Pete Dunne vs. Adam Cole for the WWE United Kingdom Championship along with two more First Round Matchups,
The Street Profits vs. Heavy Machinery and
Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young vs Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss.
#1 Contender’s (NXT Championship) Match – Aleister Black vs. Killian Dain
The bell rings and immediately Killian Dain running Black into the corner, but Black comes right back with a few quick kicks and takes Dain down on the outside with a springboard moonsault. Black gets back in the ring and glares at Dain and we take a commercial break. Post break Dain with The Divide on Black and covers for 2. Killian Dain with stomps to Aleister in the corner and kicks the ropes into Black’s face. Dain with a forearm shot and and a kick to Black in the midsection. Dain goes for the cover, but Black kicks out at two. Dain applies a submission, but Black gets free with a quick kick. Dain grabs Black and slams him to the mat and delivers a splash. Dain goes for the cover, but Black kicks out. Dain splashes again and goes for another cover, but Black kicks out again. Dain splashes a third time and goes yet another pin, but Black kicks out for the third time. Black trying to fight his way back, but Dain delivers a knee to the gut.
Killian Dain lifts him up but Black lands on his feet. Black lands some heavy but quick strikes pairing kicks and elbows, he then trips up Dain and kicks him in the face. Black delivers a stiff forearm and then the springboard moonsault. Black goes for the cover, but Dain is able to be the count at two. Black to the top rope but Dain catches him with a clothesline. Killian covers but Black kicks out. Black making a comeback with an enzuiguri, but Dain delivers a senton bomb to Black. Dain slams Black to the mat and connects with another senton. Dain connects with the Vader Bomb and goes for the cover, but Black kicks out at two. Dain going for an electric chair countered by Black rolling through and delivering a deadly Black Mass the the cover and 1,2,3.
Winner: Aleister Black.
My take:See it: Black gets the win after being worked over a good deal of the matchup. I like both guys a lot and they both brought it here. Aleister’s comeback offense was great and the Black Mass is always a beauty. Should be an awesome title match in New Orleans as Black’s win gives him #1 contendersship for Cien Almas’s NXT title.
TheLariat.net