This card is absolutely stacked. STACKED. I have seen a ton of great wrestling already this weekend though so I really hope they bring it like they never have before.
NXT Tag Titles - War Raiders vs Aleister Black & Ricochet
The crowd sounds hot tonight, which is great. This also starts off hot and only gets hotter as it goes on, until the point where it could ignite the atmosphere of the planet. The action never fucking stopped and it was all just so beautifully done. From a pure enjoyment perspective, this was just about perfect. From Rowe and Black trying to beat each other to death to Hanson and Ricochet trying to show the other that they can hang in each other's world, this just fit together so well. They had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands from start to finish and Ricochet and Aleister Black got to have a tremendous sendoff from NXT. Absolutely brilliant. ****3/4
NXT North American Title - Velveteen Dream vs Matt Riddle
Well, this match has a ridiculous task ahead of it, not looking bad in comparison to the first. I thought they were going to struggle when they started off as slowly as they did but they built the match beautifully throughout and the finishing stretch was an absolute stonker. Riddle looked like a beast throughout and Dream maintained his aura. Riddle hit some sick looking offense, most notably an outside in German suplex that looked like it had killed Dream. This was a perfect example of how someone can look great, even in defeat. ****1/4
WWE UK Title - Pete Dunne vs WALTER
This fucking show is something, eh. I assume that this match may have some sway with regards to how good people think it is but for me, this was everything that I love in wrestling. The way the match built was superb, with it being another slow burner that hit into full flow at the right time. This one, however, was never going to hit speeds of 100 miles an hour, and it was all the better for it as it made the brutal strikes feel all the nastier. I have made no bones about the fact that I think WALTER is the best big, nasty bastard in wrestling and he certainly showed that here, hitting a ton of those sickening chops and some nasty suplexes. Dunne on the other hand had a plan and stuck to it, with it nearly paying off. I'm not sure what else I can really say about this match other than to say that it was a wonderfully told story that was executed fantastically and was the best possible way to end such a massive title reign. *****
NXT Women's Title - Shayna Baszler vs Io Shirai vs Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair
I keep waiting for the moment that this show has a drop but I need to realise that it isn't fucking happening. This had all the chance in the world to fall into the trap that befalls many fatal 4-way matches but it didn't. It really didn't. They kept the action fast and frequent, with everyone involved getting their chance to shine. Some of the moves they pulled off were superb, with a special mention going to Belair for hitting Shirai and Sane with her finisher at the same time. They also told a good story of the relationship between Sane and Shirai. This was great. ****
NXT Title, 2/3 Falls - Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole
Judging by this crowd, Cole is the most over wrestler in the world. The crowd never really stopped making this feel like a truly special occasion either. Which is good because, without hyperbole, this was one of the best pieces of professional wrestling I have ever seen. Every single individual part of this match was exactly on point. Each individual fall was unique from the other two, which is nice. The quality of the wrestling was at a peak level throughout. The storytelling, for both men and the match itself, was wonderful and paid off just about as perfectly. They teased fucking everything up with the run-ins, only to make the match even better when Gargano overcame. Aside from the actual wrestling, the effort that both men put in was outstanding. And then there was the intangible in all of this, the crowd. They were one of the best crowds there has been for a match like this and they helped take this match from something that was an outstanding wrestling match to something that was truly, truly special. Having Gargano finally complete his journey to the title was just the icing on the cake. If you haven't watched this match already, do it now. *****
Overall Grade - A+++
Quite frankly, this is one of the best wrestling shows I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen a hell of a lot. If there is such a thing as the perfect wrestling show, this may well be it.
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