By Graham "GSM" Matthews

​NXT Women's Champion Asuka def. Nicole Matthews (Non-title)

We've been seeing the same Asuka squash matches for the past year, so this really wasn't anything new. That said, I will never get tired of seeing Asuka absolutely decimate her opponents. Hell, there was one point of the match where Matthews simply fell down before Asuka could deliver one of her final kicks toward the end. Asuka said in an interview later in the show that there wasn't anyone left to face her, and it's hard to argue with that. Ember Moon is an obvious choice, but I'd hold off on that encounter until WrestleMania weekend. Who should she face in the meantime at TakeOver: San Antonio?


Eric Young def. No Way Jose

Of course, Young calls Canada home, so it was cool for him to make his singles debut in NXT (his match against Samoa Joe back in April notwithstanding) in his native country. While the match wasn't anything out of the ordinary, it was solid while it lasted and Jose was protected in defeat with interference from SAnitY costing him the win. Expect this to lead to SAnitY taking on Jose and Rich Swann sooner rather than later.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

​Pentagon Dark def. Doku

The Star Wars mark in me couldn't shake how Doku's name sounded a lot like Count Dooku. Rest in power, Christopher Lee. Anyway, I expected this to be a lot shorter than it actually was, but at least Pentagon was on offense for a majority of the match. Doku got in her fair share of offense, but not enough to make Pentagon look weak. I was not at all a fan of Pentagon losing to Sexy Star back in Season 1, and considering how badass he is, he should be decimating someone as small as Doku with ease. That said, I did dig the finish with Doku going for a flying elbow only for Pentagon to catch her in an armbar and proceed to break her arm. Classic Pentagon.


Pentagon Dark def. Yurei

Pentagon took much more abuse here than he did in the previous bout, but that was logical given he was exhausted from already having wrestled one match. The best part was how believable Yurei looked when beating the crap out of Pentagon on the outside. She truly looked possessed in not wanting to disappoint Black Lotus by tapping out, so props to her for her performance. Once again, that finish was a thing of beauty with Pentagon catching her in a package piledriver and then following that up with another broken arm.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

​Lio Rush def. Jonathon Gresham

Well, this match really didn't have much to do with anything, so it seemed out of place on the go-home show for the pay-per-view. Don't get me wrong, it was a well-wrestled match and a nice showcase for both guys, but I'm not sure what point it was supposed to serve. Alex Shelley was fine on commentary and did a good job of putting over Rush throughout the bout as well as afterward, but they won't even be in the same match at Final Battle, so again, it felt random. Speaking of Rush, he will replacing ACH in the finals of the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship tournament because of ACH's departure from the company. They explained it in storyline by saying ACH's spot was reserved for Rush the entire time, which is true.


The Briscoes def. The Addiction

Unlike the previous bout, this match actually did have some Final Battle implications considering The Briscoes will be challenging for the ROH World Tag Team Championship on Friday night, in addition to The Addiction being the former tag champs. Thus, it made sense for them to overcome the former champs before they could conquer the current ones. Solid storytelling. This was a great match that featured excellent in-ring action, especially down the stretch, and it's a shame The Addiction don't currently have a match at Final Battle after headlining All Star Extravaganza a few months back.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Bollywood Boyz def. Drew Gulak and Tony Nese

I'm not sure if this was the best bout to kick off the all-new series with. It was a well-wrestled match, sure, but The Bollywood Boyz are far from the greatest athletes on the show. They have a decent little act, but the crowd couldn't have cared less, sadly. It also didn't help that Nese and Gulak have been established as the enhancement talent of the Cruiserweight division thus far, and that seemingly hasn't changed on 205 Live. They're talented wrestlers, and I liked their post-match promo, but nothing stands out about them thus far that makes me want to boo them.


Jack Gallagher def. Ariya Daivari

I have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Gallagher in the Cruiserweight division for months, and this was well worth the wait. Simply put, the guy is freakin' awesome. He managed to do the impossible by winning over the audience with his exciting offense and entertaining mannerisms and I'm glad he was able to showcase that same personality that made him a favorite in the Cruiserweight Classic. He should be in contention for the title sooner rather than later.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch and Becky Lynch Signed the Contract For Their TLC Match

These two had a contract signing prior to their No Mercy match roughly two months ago, but I was glad they didn't rehash the same material here. Rather, this might have been an even better segment with both ladies bringing their A-game on the mic and Lynch especially shined. Bliss getting the upper hand heading into the pay-per-view was logical considering she'll be challenging for the title, and I could very well see her capturing the championship this time around. No woman on the roster has progressed more than she has this year and she should be rewarded for her efforts. That said, I wouldn't be distraught if Lynch retained since she really hasn't had much of a reign yet.


Dolph Ziggler and Kalisto def. Intercontinental Champion The Miz and Baron Corbin by Disqualification

Ziggler and Miz have done all they could do with their feud over the past three months, so I don't blame them for sticking with just a match the week ahead of their final face-off at TLC. Corbin and Kalisto are simply spinning their wheels at this point as well, so I enjoyed this tag team match for what it was worth even though I'm not any more excited for either of these matches at the event than I was before.