The Other Two Hours – NXT (Prerecorded) and 205 Live Recap/Reaction – 8/29-30/2017

Ok, so there were significantly more than 2 more hours this week, and if you don’t know or haven’t given it a shot yet, go watch the first four episodes (the entire first round) of the Mae Young Classic.  I would recommend starting with episode 3, but that’s just because all of my favorites were in that episode (Toni Storm, Dakota Kai, Piper Niven).  But let’s get into the other two shows from this week.

205 Live

• The Brian Kendrick def. Gentleman Jack Gallagher via Submission in a No DQ Match – 205 Live came out firing this week with a solid promo package (albeit with some weird circus balloon graphics overlaid over a portion of it that didn’t work for me) and then jumping right into what I would have expected was going to be the Main for this episode after last week.  Gallagher held the majority of the offense until Kendrick finally turned it around, beat Gallagher’s head into the steel steps and then locked the Captain’s Hook in with the assistance of a kendo stick.  I don’t know why they called this a submission win, as Gallagher was completely unconscious, but that’s how it was announced following the match.
• Rich Swann def. Ariya Daivari via roll-up pin on slight distraction by TJP at commentary – Daivari tried to take one of TJP’s crutches to use as a weapon and TJP fought it away from him, Swann rolled him up and got the win.  This match felt bland.  Following the win, TJP got in the ring and beat the hell out of Daivari, even hitting a Detonation Kick with his “injured knee”.  He’s faking it.
• Enzo Amore, Cedric Alexander & Gran Metalik def. Tony Nese, Drew Gulak & Noam Dar via roll-up – This was fairly straight forward 6-man tag action.  All of these guys got their moments, but the whole point was to build up Enzo and it was effective, at least to me.  Enzo looked great, finally being the one that got to come in on the hot tag.  What I didn’t like was that he got the pin via roll-up on Nese.  Just because you’re going to build up Enzo doesn’t mean to have to stifle the momentum Nese has right now.  Dar is coming off that bogus Alicia Fox thing, let him eat the loss.

NXT was back at Full Sail Live this week and your two new champions were in the house.

• The show started with a camera crew running across a parking lot to show the members of Sanity had been beaten down outside the arena.  They didn’t say who did it, but the AoP don’t operate that way, but there is a group out there right now that’s making a name jumping people.
• Inside the building, Drew McIntyre makes his way to the Full Sail NXT Ring for the first time as NXT Champion.  He all but starts an Open Challenge for the title, saying that in his NXT he’s going to be a man who fights for his championship against any man who will step to him face to face and challenge him for it, essentially talking down the attacks from Adam Cole and Company.  Roderick Strong makes his way out to let the champ know that even though he has his revenge match with Bobby Roode tonight, he wants a shot at that title.  He’s got a good case though, since the Wednesday night before Takeover he had the match against Drew pretty well in hand before Roode interfered.
• Peyton Royce def. Ruby Riot via pinfall – This match went both ways, and was actually a pretty good match.  When the action made its way to the outside, Billie Kay landed a massive kick on Riot outside and then Royce pulled her into the ring to land the Fisherman Suplex into the bridged pinfall.  Royce and Kay are on fire right now, but not seemingly moving anywhere in the division.  Maybe that will change with Asuka forfeiting the belt due to injury (and going straight to Raw when she returns).
• Heavy Machinery def. Jobbers (I think, I don’t remember who it was) – Knight and the Bull Dozer are a two man wrecking crew.  I hope that the Fish-O’Reilly pop and pending battle with Sanity doesn’t cut them off at the knees and leave them trapped in the lower mid-card and never in the title picture again.  They’re a lot of fun, and that tag team finisher looks painful as shit.
• Roderick Strong def. Bobby Roode – This match was about getting Roddy a win to move on from Roode as The Glorious One has joined the Smackdown Live roster.  Both of them looked great, and when you thought Roode was going to hit the Glorious DDT for the win, Roddy got out of it and hit a massive backbreaker and picked up the win.  His promo work needs some more practice, but he’s one of the best in ring performers on the roster.
• Following the match, McIntyre came out and held up the belt, indicating that he accepts the challenge from Strong……that’s when he got jumped by Adam Cole, O’Reilly and Fish, taking a DDT into the top of the ramp.  The trio run off through the crowd shouting that it is their NXT.  William Regal gives chase out of the arena before the three attackers escaped across the parking lot and off into the distance.

There’s your other two hours.  As much as I want you to get viewership up on 205 Live, just use the two hours I’ve saved you and go watch the Mae Young Classic.  You’ll be glad you did.  It is quite DELIGHTFUL.