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BTW - if anyone is curious since they announced it as the 10th Iron Man Match in WWE History. The wiki list

 

So they thankfully don't count the WCW matches but God is it a little tainted that they counted two different 15 minute matches

Sadly they don't count any of the Rockers/Brain Busters Ironman Matches

 

James

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BTW - if anyone is curious since they announced it as the 10th Iron Man Match in WWE History. The wiki list

 

So they thankfully don't count the WCW matches but God is it a little tainted that they counted two different 15 minute matches

Sadly they don't count any of the Rockers/Rougeau Ironman Matches

 

James

 

 

What were the WCW Ironman matches? I recall Steamboat/Rude and Rude/Dustin. I'm sure I'm missing some others.

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BTW - if anyone is curious since they announced it as the 10th Iron Man Match in WWE History. The wiki list

 

So they thankfully don't count the WCW matches but God is it a little tainted that they counted two different 15 minute matches

Sadly they don't count any of the Rockers/Rougeau Ironman Matches

 

James

 

 

What were the WCW Ironman matches? I recall Steamboat/Rude and Rude/Dustin. I'm sure I'm missing some others.

 

 

THose are the only two

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Alright. Having the chance to think on this helped parse.

Mechanics vs. Joe/Balor was really good. The two singles guys thing has sort of worked here because most teams in NXT aren't experienced with breaking down a better singles guy. Enzo and Cass had just tried to throw the usual out but had no response when Joe survived Air Enzo. This match had the Mechanics find their spot with that knee and shark it like crazy because they knew it was their only hope of pinning either member of the superteam. It was smart work and a good match. Joe's reaction to Finn wanting the tag was great too.

Gable and Jordan are such a great team. They complete each other with Gable drawing personality out of Jordan who is super impressive with his nifty matwork and freakish power suplexes and Jordan in turn giving Gable a really strong base for his schtick. They've established the dynamic of Gable being good but vulnerable and Jordan being strong enough to back it up. Jordan is Gable's meal ticket down to their finisher showing Jordan's strength used to give Gable the pin. And they were able to use their teamwork to overcome a superior single wrestler in Neville and pick apart his partner in Crowe in what was my favourite overall tournament match back in the first round.

Basically I was hoping they'd pull it out so we could get them sharking Balor's knee and working smart to bring him down and take the tourney. Instead we got a great match, probably Corbin's best ever. Did a good job playing those dynamics with Gable getting in over his head and despite a valiant performance it falls apart when Jordan's strength fails him against Rhyno leaving Gable alone against a higher ranked singles guy. Smart and fun stuff.

Asuka vs. Brooke was a mauling. Dana got nothing except that short bit Emma got her. They played the idea that Dana was unprepared heavily so it doesn't make Asuka too OP for the division. I really adore Asuka basically playing the 'truly dangerous people don't advertise' card, basically being calm and controlled at all times outside the ring because who needs sneak attacks when you can just wait to rip them apart? Great debut.

Breeze vs. Crews was Crews best match yet. Breeze is on that early HBK vibe. They need to give him Corbin as his Diesel and have him win a US title challenge stat. Great pinballimg from Breeze, but that apron bump from Crews was heinous. I liked Breeze scouting Crews stuff and man should that Moonsault counter have been the finish. Crews run so far has been people breaking him down because he's not great in-ring but has that killer finishing combo. As long as he could rattle that off he'd be good. So it failing him here should have been the finish, setting up an eventual rematch with the finish we got. Still dug it and his B finisher is better than his A finisher.

Hodgepodge tag finals were fine. Corbin and Rhyno didn't really know how to use Finn's injury so that was a waste. He sold it perfectly too. Match was basically what you'd expect though. Not bad but kinda underwhelming. Shoulda been Jordan and Gable. After having the two best aired tourney matches I feel like they could have closed it strong. Still, hot finishing run and a good close. Cody's heartfelt promo makes me wish he was a main event singles guy instead of languishing in the midcard right now.

Main event was amazing. Probably as good as Brooklyn in different ways. Best Ironman ever. Right off the top two smart things were how they covered for botches by selling exhaustion or counters. They botched a lot but none super memorably partly because they didn't get distracted. Less talented wrestlers would just repeat the spot. All the shit about their stuff being rehearsed and they handled screwups better than most main roster members. Amazing.

Secondly, they told a story that built on the first match with dozens of callback spots, yet no obvious repeated spots or sequences. Too often, callbacks are "doing the same thing again" but every callback here was fresh and built off the last match. Going 30 that's especially impressive.

Brooklyn told the story of Bayley wanting her fairy tale and Sasha thinking she was so much better that she could stop it. She underestimated Bayley's heart and will. She rejected the idea that someone could reach that pinnacle without the compromises Sasha had to make. But Bayley is stronger than her and nearly as good and the combination is enough to overcome.

This match is Bayley's story but it's Sasha's match. Those early bits where she controls and looks at Bayley with disdain. Like "This is what I lost to?" It's perfect. She sees Bayley as something of an equal now. She respects the skill. But she feels like she's still better and is actively furious with Bayley holding the moral highground over her. So she cheats. Blatantly. Cheap shot out of the handshake. Eyepoke schoolboy. Those nasty throws into the stairs and the screen and taking the countout finish. Making Izzy cry. Yeah Bayley gets that early Bayley to Belly win but Sasha isn't just trying to beat her. She's saying "To beat me you're going to have to reach deep. Your old tricks won't work. Your heart and spirit won't work. You're going to have to sink to my level to beat me because I had to sink to my level to be this and I refuse to believe you can do what I couldn't."

On one level Bayley does. She gets super aggressive and works that hand over in amazing fashion as revenge for last year. But she never goes for the cheap shot. It nearly costs her. Sasha survives the B2B on the floor and from the top. She counters the poison rana that led to her defeat last month. It becomes super clear she doesn't have enough in the tank to beat Bayley but she's not going to lose the same way again. Sasha's will gives her what she needs to get the Bank Statement but last month proved she can't beat Bayley clean and now she has the bad hand preventing her from getting all of it. Bayley tries last month's counter but again Sasha won't be taken that way again. So Bayley has to do something nasty and new, completely immobilizing Sasha and tearing on that hand while throwing kicks to stop her from thinking straight and holding out for the clock. Sasha *has* to submit and not even just tap. She has to verbally give up, saying that Bayley is the better wrestler.

In the end Bayley wins because she dig deeper than ever and yet stays true to herself right to the end. Sasha loses because for all the shortcuts she took, she stopped believing she could be better. She gave up on the dream Bayley held onto.

Writing all that out...maybe better than Brooklyn. Probably WWE MOTY. Best Ironman ever. And to see the whole NXT roster come out, HHH looking on with pride as Sara Del Rey comforts Sasha...a perfect moment.

This is why I watch pro wrestling. This match. This show. All the Bayley and Dusty stuff has been actively seeking my tears and being rewarded. With all the tepid ass main roster stuff I had forgotten how much emotion wrestling could hold. This has totally reaffirmed my love of it.

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Bayley/Sasha was great and all, but they really need to chill out on the 90s AJPW neck bumps, like that nasty suplex and that tree of woe elbow drop in the corner looked brutal.  Working this style of match is very enjoyable to watch and high on drama, but very high risk especially over time, and I really don't want to see one of these amazing ladies break their neck.

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I can't wait for Dana Brooke to go up to Emma and be like "Avenge me" and Emma is like "lol hard pass on that. Did you watch a replay? I don't wanna get my ass kicked". 

 

The main event was great. 

 

I am surprised that Finn Balor is getting a pass from people for his selling in the finals. The whole match was built around the idea that Balor and Joe may not be able to hit the tag move that has won them every match thus far, but Balor had zero issues hitting any of his offense and really only sold the knee when he remembered or in between sprinting, jumping and throwing drop kicks. It killed the drama for me and took me out of the match a few times. 

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Were we watching the same match? He was doing right-leg kicks, jumping off with his right leg and then hitting a drop kick that was mostly just that same right leg. Dude was going out of his way to sell "trying to cover for the injury" in his offensive spots, and when Corbin was finally able to start working the leg, he was doing nothing but selling the leg for a good five minutes. The only thing he hit with solid contact from his left leg was the finisher.

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tumblr_nvvlxrGDJJ1saykaxo1_400.gif

 

Was posted in the Gif thread but should be here too.

 

That might be the best End of Days Corbin has done.

 

I only noticed now watching the gif that he did it fucking one handed

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tumblr_nvvlxrGDJJ1saykaxo1_400.gif

 

Was posted in the Gif thread but should be here too.

 

That might be the best End of Days Corbin has done.

 

I only noticed now watching the gif that he did it fucking one handed

 

I think he tried to set up for it with the move sequence before but didn't. I have to admit I was like DAMN when he hit it. I think this was the first one he's hit from his left side as well. So now he can say he can literally hit the end of days out of nowhere.

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tumblr_nvvlxrGDJJ1saykaxo1_400.gif

Was posted in the Gif thread but should be here too.

That might be the best End of Days Corbin has done.

I only noticed now watching the gif that he did it fucking one handed

I think he tried to set up for it with the move sequence before but didn't. I have to admit I was like DAMN when he hit it. I think this was the first one he's hit from his left side as well. So now he can say he can literally hit the end of days out of nowhere.

I thought that as well but he hit Finn with the exact same move in the final if im not mistaken.
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Unholy Dragon pretty much explained why Sami Zayn and Bayley resonate with me. They never actually stoop to taking shortcuts. Sasha did it and it worked for her, so she can't believe that other people can do things the right way. To her, the idea is a mere fairy tale. 

 

For Bayley to be that happy-go-lucky "just glad to be here" character and to grow over the last couple of years from that into someone who wanted to be more than just glad to be here, but to be champion, and for her to find a way to become better as a performer and a person instead of taking the cheap and easy out of cheating, cheapshotting, and being a dick like so many other people do is fucking inspirational. It's what I wish would happen more in real life. It's so gratifying to see that hard work, self-awareness, and a commitment to hard work and personal growth CAN make your dreams come true. This was even better than Sami not using the chair on Neville when he had the chance in some ways. 

 

Bayley and Sami should never turn heel ever. They occupy the same sort of spot that Daniel Bryan did as a face because crowds actually do want to see pure babyfaces win in a world of morally-ambiguous tweeners and outwardly-douchebaggy heels. The ordinary, everyday genuinely good person has replaced the Nietzschean superman of the '80s or the anti-heroic rebel of the '90s and '00s as the type of babyface that fans want at this point, IMO. 

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tumblr_nvvlxrGDJJ1saykaxo1_400.gif

Was posted in the Gif thread but should be here too.

That might be the best End of Days Corbin has done.

I only noticed now watching the gif that he did it fucking one handed

I think he tried to set up for it with the move sequence before but didn't. I have to admit I was like DAMN when he hit it. I think this was the first one he's hit from his left side as well. So now he can say he can literally hit the end of days out of nowhere.

I thought that as well but he hit Finn with the exact same move in the final if im not mistaken.

 

This was definitely "Slam of the Night", followed closely by Gable's rolling deadlift German.  Gable and Baron worked really well with each other.  I'd like to see more of them fighting in the future.  

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Unholy Dragon pretty much explained why Sami Zayn and Bayley resonate with me. They never actually stoop to taking shortcuts. Sasha did it and it worked for her, so she can't believe that other people can do things the right way. To her, the idea is a mere fairy tale. 

 

For Bayley to be that happy-go-lucky "just glad to be here" character and to grow over the last couple of years from that into someone who wanted to be more than just glad to be here, but to be champion, and for her to find a way to become better as a performer and a person instead of taking the cheap and easy out of cheating, cheapshotting, and being a dick like so many other people do is fucking inspirational. It's what I wish would happen more in real life. It's so gratifying to see that hard work, self-awareness, and a commitment to hard work and personal growth CAN make your dreams come true. This was even better than Sami not using the chair on Neville when he had the chance in some ways. 

 

Bayley and Sami should never turn heel ever. They occupy the same sort of spot that Daniel Bryan did as a face because crowds actually do want to see pure babyfaces win in a world of morally-ambiguous tweeners and outwardly-douchebaggy heels. The ordinary, everyday genuinely good person has replaced the Nietzschean superman of the '80s or the anti-heroic rebel of the '90s and '00s as the type of babyface that fans want at this point, IMO. 

That's why so many people (myself included) love Cena as well, he's truly inspirational and a pillar of strength and class for the world and youth of today. 

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I don't know what it is but Emma's gloves really weird me out. I've always though Seth's gloves were kinda weird, but Emma's take it to another level.

 

lol They're the half hand gloves. They've been around for a little while now. 

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This has been kind of covered already in various comments, but the biggest testament to the overall success of NXT is that I honestly couldn't tell you who the worst worker on this show was. Dana and Corbin were both great in their roles, with Dana not looking out of place at all against Asuka and Corbin busting out THAT End of Days and his strikes getting better and better. Dash and Dawson looked fantastic. Jason Jordan feels more and more like Shelton Benjamin with stronger charisma and better promos. Breeze has gotten to a point where his in-ring work is near the level of his character work. Crews got a chance to do more than run through his gymnastics routine, and his new finish arguably did a better job of showing his strength and agility than the press slam/moonsault. Shit, the best candidates for "worst" performance on the show might be Joe or Rhyno - not because they were actively less-than-good, but because all of the young folks played their parts as well as you could possibly hope.

 

NXT is just firing on all cylinders at this point, with a top to bottom roster that rivals any I can think of in my almost 30 years of fandom.

 

EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION: My comment is more about the bottom end of the roster than the top. I'm not saying there's a Flair, Anderson, Steamboat, or Guerrero on the roster right now. I'm saying I'd rather watch a Scott Dawson match than a Brutus Beefcake match. I'm saying give me 5 minutes of Dana Brooke over 5 minutes of Michelle McCool. I'm saying I'd rather see Elias Samson or Tye Dillenger than The Maestro or Duke Droese.

 

There may not be a murderer's row of world class talent, but I'd take whoever the consensus opinion "worst" guy to make NXT television over Botswana Beast, or Savannah Jack, or Chilly Willy, or crap I'm just naming shitty black guys now everyone's gonna think I'm racist like Big Fresh.

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Unholy Dragon pretty much explained why Sami Zayn and Bayley resonate with me. They never actually stoop to taking shortcuts. Sasha did it and it worked for her, so she can't believe that other people can do things the right way. To her, the idea is a mere fairy tale. 

 

For Bayley to be that happy-go-lucky "just glad to be here" character and to grow over the last couple of years from that into someone who wanted to be more than just glad to be here, but to be champion, and for her to find a way to become better as a performer and a person instead of taking the cheap and easy out of cheating, cheapshotting, and being a dick like so many other people do is fucking inspirational. It's what I wish would happen more in real life. It's so gratifying to see that hard work, self-awareness, and a commitment to hard work and personal growth CAN make your dreams come true. This was even better than Sami not using the chair on Neville when he had the chance in some ways. 

 

Bayley and Sami should never turn heel ever. They occupy the same sort of spot that Daniel Bryan did as a face because crowds actually do want to see pure babyfaces win in a world of morally-ambiguous tweeners and outwardly-douchebaggy heels. The ordinary, everyday genuinely good person has replaced the Nietzschean superman of the '80s or the anti-heroic rebel of the '90s and '00s as the type of babyface that fans want at this point, IMO. 

 

They're great avatars for the current wrestling fan. I wrote in the MOTY thread: We're typically more comfortable at comic book conventions than Hooter's after-parties these days. DB, Sami and Bayley are total dorks like us. Sasha's attack on Izzy was such a great way to go after the entire crowd, beyond just bullying a child. We were all Izzy at one point and still are to varying degrees.

I think that's also why Sasha is so great as a heel. We know she's one of us (especially through all the meta stuff) but she puts on the Stunna Shades to try and be someone she's not. She's putting on a front that lets her be an awful person to get ahead. Only it didn't work.

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One match I think is being slept on is the opener.  Just perfectly booked, and should be how two main-eventers vs a midcard tag team should look like.   Dawson and Dash were overmatched one on one, but when it was two on one they did great.  That's how it should be done.   Shows the value in being a tag team specialist, and in being a main guy.

 

Everything hit spot on tonight as usual- NXT big shows are the best thing WWE has to offer these days.

 

 

Bayley/Sasha was great and all, but they really need to chill out on the 90s AJPW neck bumps, like that nasty suplex and that tree of woe elbow drop in the corner looked brutal.  Working this style of match is very enjoyable to watch and high on drama, but very high risk especially over time, and I really don't want to see one of these amazing ladies break their neck.

 

It was done very safely, you could see Bayley hitting her foot on the rope to stop almost all the impact.

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Bayley/Sasha was great and all, but they really need to chill out on the 90s AJPW neck bumps, like that nasty suplex and that tree of woe elbow drop in the corner looked brutal.  Working this style of match is very enjoyable to watch and high on drama, but very high risk especially over time, and I really don't want to see one of these amazing ladies break their neck.

 

It was done very safely, you could see Bayley hitting her foot on the rope to stop almost all the impact.

Yeah Bayley bounced off the bottom rope to jump into it, and she did all she could to make it look good and be safe of course, but the part that looked rough was when Sasha unhooked her leg from the rope and dropped onto her neck from the momentum.  Good thing she was sitting up and leaning into it though. 

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What continuously blows my mind is just how emotionally invested we are in Bayley and Sasha.  It's more common now for us to admit that we reach various levels of getting the misty eyes in certain moments.  Man or woman I can't think of the last time this has happened.  Sami winning the belt I guess was the last one.  But just seeing the journey they've both been on from unknowns who wrote essays to them them living out who and what they wanted to be.  Like Dragon said, they transcend wrestling in that they're wonderful people who are achieving their dreams and we're in a cool spot where we can see that happen.

 

Wonderful show top to bottom.  Alstein, I don't think the opener got slept on, that was a tremendous old school style match.  Dash and Dawson are a wonderful team and I can't wait to see more of them.  Was fine with Finn/Joe winning it all even though I really wanted Gable and Jordan to be in the final (their match was pretty great also)  Asuka was tremendous in her debut, instant fan of her.  And considering how good she looks it's going to be pretty easy to make her an instant star.  I get why people aren't on board with Crews.  While this match helped I would still like to see more intensity from him aside from just doing moves.  He needs to be in a grudge match badly.

 

I don't know what else can be said about Bayley/Sasha, but hot damn was that an epic match.  The callbacks to the previous matches worked so well and I was fully invested in this match.  What really pushed it over the top was Sasha heeling on Izzy.  I don't know if she's a child actress or the parents were in on it to a degree.  But all it took was seeing Izzy crying her eyes out and we were both going "C'mon, Bayley, do it for Izzy!"  Damn, it's crazy just thinking about it.  Loved how Bayley won for reasons stated by Greggulator among others, and damn if that post-match didn't get to me.  The whole roster coming out with flowers and Sasha just collapsing was a heavy, heavy moment.  Oh, and bonus points for having Lita there, you know that meant the world to them.  I see why some found that a tad patronizing (news flash:  women have been awesome at things for a long time) but it was still a beautiful moment.

 

I love NXT with all my heart.  More often than not the Takeover shows and hype hit the right notes and I'll always be hardcore into this.  What a wonderfully crazy time to be a wrestling fan.

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NXT is also a really strong argument for having only one hour long show a week and a slower, longer build to super cards. Having six or so a year really helps make them build something that matters, and not filling 7 hours of TV a week let's things breathe and keep matches special.

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