WWE NXT 22/11/2017

This isn't going to be the start of a regular NXT review, but I just kinda fancied writing about this weeks, partly due to completion after reviewing WarGames and partly because I really wanted to see the Pete Dunne match.

Ruby Riot vs Sonya Deville

Thought this was pretty effective. Liked the opening section which established the danger that Deville presented with her striking game before she takes out Riot’s leg with a running legsweep. It feels like something that would genuinely take a leg out too, so it’s no surprise when Riot starts selling her ankle. Deville’s mounted strikes look good, nice to see her mixing in some body shots. For her part, Riot sells the leg injury really convincingly, favouring it when she lands after getting elevated onto the apron and using her good leg to springboard off the ropes for a senton. Loved Deville transitioning from a triangle into a sit-down anklelock, but ultimately the veteran smarts of Riot pay dividends, as Deville gets too tied up with complaining to the ref after a ropebreak, giving Riot time to hit a Pele kick from nowhere to win. Good match.

Pete Dunne vs Johnny Gargano

This was really good, and without the commercial break it could have been a MotYC. Loved Pete hitting a massive forearm to the face after their relatively even opening. I liked how they set up Gargano’s cannonball off the apron, as he had to evade a few Dunne attacks before hitting it. Gargano’s hesitation at hitting a tornado DDT outside the ring costs him, as Pete reverses it to an X-Plex onto the apron. I love the digit work Pete does to Gargano’s hands, it’s not hokey bullshit like Marty Scurll breaking his opponents fingers which then work fine, but it looks like it’s something actually designed to weaken the opponents hands, and gets paid off here. Gargano locks in the Gargano Escape, but his hands aren’t able to fully grip it in, giving Pete some room to spit out his gumshield and bite Gargano’s hands to escape. There’s one clunky bit, where Gargano notices Pete’s gumshield isn’t in, and they look at each other for ages before Johnny superkicks him for two, but it’s swiftly followed by Dunne greeting the slingshot spear with a forearm to the face, and the Bitter End gives Dunne the win. Really loved this.