Cedric Alexander vs Tony Nese
Feels like another Alexander match being cut short to fit
with their Alicia Fox storyline, but what they did fit in was fun. Think Nese
may find himself in a difficult position, now they’ve given Neville a similar “bearded
heel who is an incredible athlete with a muscular physique” gimmick, but I
liked him here. Had a nice flashy combo of moves to down Cedric, but then
slowed the match down on the mat so as to not overshadow the face. Alexander
took a big bump to the floor when Nese shoves him from the top rope, and I dug
his springboard clothesline. End was goofy, but fun, with Gulak claiming from
the floor that Fox hit him, resulting in her getting sent to the back and Nese
using the distraction to thwack Alexander with a palm strike for the win. Bonus
points for Gulak looking like an utter boss in his suit.
Mustafa Ali vs John Yurnet
Glad to see them seemingly turning Ali face, saw him working
that way in an AAW match, and he’s very likable. Plus you have to feel that the
WWE couldn’t pull off the subtleties of an “You only boo me because of my
heritage” gimmick. Since this match, it’s emerged Yurnet was probably injured
going into this, and he seems to be limping right from the get go. Liked Aries
trying to suggest he was just playing possum. Match is really brief due to the
injury, with Ali hitting a reverse DDT and a sweet imploding 450 to win.
Neville vs Rich Swann
Neville continues his good work from last week, though he
was noticeably a bit flashier this week than previously. I liked the fact he
was able to keep up with Swann’s initial quickness, because Neville is still a
superb athlete, but once in control he is much more deliberate. Loved him
hurling Swann into the ring apron, with a nasty bump by Swann to boot. In the
ring, Neville drives his elbow into Swann’s head in a nasty manner. I thought
Neville was really good here at working his flashier offence into his character,
hitting a standing shooting star to Swann’s back, which was a focal point of a
lot of his offence. Swann is able to get more offense than in the previous week’s
tag match, hitting a sweet looking Phoenix Splash to a standing Neville on the
floor. I loved a lot of the touches in this, like Neville throwing Swann to the
outside, giving him a beat to regain his bearings and nail an enzuigiri as soon
as Swann was back on the apron, as well as Swann selling his beating with a
slow walk across the ring, giving Neville time to attack. In the end, the
cumulative beating from Neville slows Swann down too much, as he spends ages
getting to the top rope, and Neville catches him with a superplex to win the
match. Really enjoyed this, Neville has become a treat to watch.
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