Saturday, November 22, 2014

NXT Cocoa 11-21-14


Tonight NXT made a stop on its chaotic road to REvolution in Cocoa, Fl. Fans filed into The National Guard Armory to see the athletes of NXT do what they do best, deliver hard hitting action and put fans on the edge of their seats. 



The night kicked off with tag team action as Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake looked to even the score with The Mechanics, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. The team of Blake and Murphy started out in control dictating the pace of the match and keeping The Mechanics off of their game. However Wilder and Dawson are as cunning as they are tough, managing to cut off Blake from his partner. Dawsons mantra is "no flips, just fists" and the two delivered just that with frequent tags and double team maneuvering that left Blake on the mat. Eventually though Blake managed to make the hot tag to Murphy who entered the ring like a bullet taking out anyone in his path and clearing the ring of Dawson and isolating Wilder. The fiery Aussie made the tag to Blake before delivering an intense suplex which Blake followed with a frog splash for the victory. This is why NXT has the best tag team wrestling around. These two teams need to be battling out on the network, and preferably for gold. 



Apparently Elias Sampson is a glutton for punishment because for the second night in a row he willingly entered the ring with the alpha of NXT, Baron Corbin. It quickly became clear he should have cut his losses last night because this match would be much worse for Sampson who didn't manage to mount any real offense before being planted to the mat with a devastating "End Of Days". 



Shoot Nation first surrounds and then enters the ring to deliver another promo. The newly expanded stable of Angelo Dawkins, Sawyer Fulton, Jason Jordan, and Tucker Knight stood at attention as the leader Chad Gable once again delivered a message to the fans and the locker room. He made it clear that the five of them had accomplished more than any of us in the room and that they will dominate NXT. Gable delivered his promo well and was really undeterred by the snarky crowd. I can't wait to see how this stable progresses. 



Next up Steve Cutler faced off against Marcus Louis. Months ago who would have predicted the evolution of the tortured Marcus Louis? He shambles to the ring with a towel over his head before removing it to reveal his still very bald head and contorted snarl. Steve Cutler would not be intimidated though and took the fight right to Louis. Cutler employs an offense of strikes and power moves that fit him well but would not be effective enough against the deranged Frenchman. Despite Cutlers efforts Marcus Louis dominated the a fairly one sided match before finishing his opponent with a ura-nage slam. Not that victories matter much to poor Marcus anymore who leaves the ring just as monstrous and tortured. 



It's hard not to be won over by the enthusiasm of Hugo Knox as he dances his way to the ring. Last weekend Knox won over many fans with a very impressive debut and no doubt looked to follow up on his success. The bad news is his opponent was NXTs resident wrecking ball Bull Demspey and he didn't appear to be in a very good mood. In fact Dempsey was on fire tonight and seemed to be living up to being the destructive force he is touted to be. Still yet Knox put forth a good effort and managed to get in a few short bursts of offense. Knox is a fair sized guy that at times moves like a cruiserweight, just as comfortable flipping off of the rope as he is delivering a clothesline. None of that would matter tonight though as Bull tore through him with relative ease and finished him with a flying headbutt for the win. 



Next out is everyones favorite condescending hippie with a live mic and a whole lot of heat from the crowd. In fact, CJ Parker probably gets more heat than anyone in NXT, and part of that is his expert ability at insulting and talking down to the crowd. His opponent once again is a fired up Solomon Crowe. Like their battle the previous evening, it was a back and forth battle. However, when Crowe is in control things get explosive with an erratic smashmouth offense. Following a downright painful to watch clothesline he appeared to be closing the match with a stretch muffler before Parker escaped. Parker is many things, and crafty is one of them as once again he was one very short step ahead of Crowe and planted him with a facebuster for the 1-2-3. 



The evening continues with womens wrestling action as Sasha Banks once again takes on the champ Charlotte in a non-title match. These two women are so evenly matched and know each other so well, the match could have went either way on several occasions. In NXT it is not uncommon for the women to steal the show, if they keep delivering matches like this they will do just that at the next live special. As the match wore on Charlotte proved why she is champ and took control and in the climactic final moments narrowly avoided a backstabber. She began to lock on a figure four before the crafty Banks rolled Charlotte up for the surprise pin. Several matches in and several wins for Sasha Banks. It's looking good for the boss heading into REvolution. 



The following match was once again Simon Gotch taking on Kalisto. Aiden English found himself ejected from ringside very early in the match much to the dismay of Simon Gotch. With the odds evened the two battled it out in a solid contest. Gotch managed to keep Kalisto grounded for much of the match but when the luchdore started to mount a comeback English ran back out. English jumped onto the ring apron to distract the referee meanwhile Kalisto whipped Gotch into English knocking him to the floor. A disoriented Gotch turned back around to find himself on the receiving end of a corkscrew body press giving Kalisto the victory. His celebration would be cut short as the dastardly Vaudevillians commenced with a post match beatdown. All three men are great workers for different reasons but many would agree it is very difficult to build interest in a tag team feud that only features one and a half tag teams. 



Our main event of the evening is the gorgeous one Tyler Breeze taking on Hideo Itami. The men cautiously circle each other to make the first move. Tyler Breeze who is often more concerned with selfies or lounging on the turnbuckle got really serious when Itamis dangerous feet narrowly missed his moneymaker. Angrily he would yell at Hideo "No Kicking!" Finally Hideo would tell him "I don't speak english." and with that the fight was on with the two men trading offense in a fast paced contest. It is Itami who is world famous for his kicks but Breezes kicks shouldn’t be taken lightly either, as evidenced as a close call with a beautifully executed superkick. Tyler Breeze found himself in control but failed to put Itami away which made him more and more frustrated, providing Itami with all the opening he needed to mount an unstoppable barrage of offense. A series of kicks dropped prince pretty to his knees and that is when Hideo delivered his own teeth shattering superkick that gave him the win. An exuberant crowd celebrated with the victorious Hideo Itami as Breeze rolled out of the ring and literally crawled like an inchworm up the aisle and all the way to the back.  










Friday, November 21, 2014

NXT Tampa 11-20-14


The stars of NXT took the fight to the UADC Gymnasium in Tampa a mere three weeks away from Takeover: REvolution. The weather was cold but the action would be hotter as fans piled into the building to watch their favorite wrestlers do battle and gain valuable momentum headed into the next live special.



Our opening bout of the evening saw Elias Sampson take on the unpleasant task of trying to defeat Baron Corbin. The as of yet unstoppable Corbin comes out to much fanfare, it's obvious the crowd is behind him. Sampson would not go down without a fight though, hesitantly at first and quickly realizing locking up with the big guy was the wrong approach. Baron Corbin looked to make quick work of Sampson but an explosive knee to the face out of nowhere toppled the big guy and gave Elias a surprising advantage. Sampson began wearing down Corbin but to no avail as Corbin found an opening and gained instant and unstoppable momentum before laying out Sampson with an “End Of Days” for the pin. Brutal offense is Corbins calling card, but it's nice to see him wrestling longer matches and selling other peoples offense. I'm looking forward to seeing more from Elias Sampson who so far has done his best to maximize his limited ringtime.


Next up is CJ Parker vs Solomon Crowe in a very entertaining match. It was a back and forth nail biter of a match that saw both men garner a fair share of offense. However, when Crowe was in control, he was undeniably in total control with his erratic and explosive style with CJ selling like no other. A clothesline that nearly turned CJ inside out followed by an attempted Stretch Muffler seemed to spell the end for Parker, however if this hippie is anything he is crafty. Parker avoided disaster and turned things around planting Crowe with a facebuster for the win. Parker is doing something right because he probably gathers more heat than anyone in NXT. Crowe is looking great in the ring, hopefully he can rebound from his string of losses sooner than later.


Apparently, Shoot Nation has been recruiting because they made their way to the ring as a group of five to give a promo. The group now consists of Chad Gable, Sawyer Fulton, Angelo Dawkins and newest members Jason Jordan and Tucker Knight. The leader of Shoot Nation Chad Gable takes the mic to address the crowd informing us that they are real wrestlers of accomplishment and not just “guys with a dream” like those in the back. He continues that they are there to destroy their dreams and dominate the locker room. I've been sold on Gable since the first time I saw him perform earlier this year, but it's good to see he is also proficient on a microphone. While I admit this stable may not help with the Kurt Angle comparisons, I for one am personally very interested in Shoot Nation. It's a great way to showcase Gable, and also gives direction to the other talented members.


The evening continues with tag team action in a show stealing match as The Mechanics took on Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy. The fan favorites Blake and Murphy take early control of the match with a fast pace and frequent tags. These guys are exciting to watch with their frenetic styles and synchronized tag team styling, but the team of Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson aren't slouches either. The Mechanics would soon take control with their smashmouth offense that may not be pretty but is surely effective, and fun to watch as well. The two roughnecks managed to cut off Blake from his partner wearing him down for a good while before he made his break and made the hot tag to a super fired up Buddy Murphy. Things looked to be turning around for their team but if The Mechanics are anything they are wily and managed to snag the victory. All I can say to people who lament the dire state of tag team wrestling is go check out an NXT house show. I'm very high on both teams and can't wait to see them battling for gold one day.


Next up is Tyler Breeze vs Hideo Itami which quickly ended in a DQ. The match began slowly with each man feeling each other out and Breeze looking to avoid the lethal kicks of Itami. Breeze took early control attempting to keep Hideo grounded. Not long after Hideo began to turn things around The Ascension ran in and began to beatdown the surprised Hideo. Breeze made his way to his feet and joined them, all three men now decimating Hideo. Then out next perhaps the most unlikely team to make the save, Big Cass and Enzo hit the ring to even the odds and rid the ring of The Ascension and Breeze. After a short intermission we are informed that there will indeed be a six man tag later in the evening.


The next bout consisted of Kalisto taking on Simon Gotch accompanied to the ring by Aiden English.
Very early into the match up English was ejected from ringside by the referee but not before causing a distraction and giving his teammate the advantage. Gotch controlled the pace of the match keeping his smaller opponent grounded. The very resilient Kalisto proved he is a very difficult man to keep down and mounted his usual dazzling offense. Aiden English ran back and leaped to the ring apron to distract Kalisto who in turn launched Gotch into him instead. A dazed and confused Simon Gotch turned to find Kalisto launching into him with a corkscrew body press for the win. This was a short match that did it's job of advancing the feud between the two teams, of course it would help if Sin Cara was actually here to be a part of a supposed tag team feud. After the match an irate Vaudevillians beat down the luchadore before English grabs a mic and declares that the titles will be theirs on December 11th.


The evening continued with womens wrestling action as the champ Charlotte took on Sasha Banks in an excellent non-title match. Once again the women tore down the house in a match that could have went either way on several occasions. First friends and now opponents these women know each other well, and they proved it as they traded offense and counter after counter. Charlotte looked to have the match won until the savvy Banks seized an opening and issued a “Bank Statement”, a backstabber rolled over into a crossface, and a truly awesome move to see. The champ had no choice but to tap giving the victory to Sasha Banks. Charlotte herself to be a worthy champion and has gotten so far in such short time, but one has to wonder if Banks simply has her number. We'll see in three weeks when the championship is on the line.


Next out to the ring is the truly odd pairing of Big Cass, Enzo, and Hideo. As usual, no one can fire up a crowd like Enzo Amore who runs through his usual monologue, except after Hideo helps them “spell it out for us”. Out next is the even more odd pairing, first out of the curtain are The Ascension followed by Tyler Breeze who is actually doing his best Ascension impression all the way to the ring (stopping to do a selfie along the way, of course) scowling and walking tough to the heavy metal riff of the Ascensions theme music. Konnor and Viktor slide in the ring to strike their signature pose with Tyler sliding in to strike a pose with them. In this wacky sport of professional wrestling we are used to seeing ultra violence peppered with the absurd or silly, but I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed till I cried at a wrestling show, if ever. The reluctant Ascension didn't look as pleased, I'll never know how they kept straight faces. Tyler and Enzo start the match and the shenanigans continue, at one point Cass, Enzo, and Hideo all struck the typical Breeze pose on the turnbuckles. Tired of being bested by Amore, Tyler made the tag to Konnor and that is when things got serious. The three made frequent tags punishing the isolated Amore from his partners allowing him to do what he does best which is play the underdog. Eventually Amore made the hot tag to Hideo and as these matches do it evolved into chaos in the climactic closing moments. Itami found himself alone in the ring with The Ascension but would quickly prove that sometimes he doesn't even need a partner as the lightening fast Hideo laid waste to both men before laying Viktor out with a superkick for the win.


Our main event of the evening is a non-title match with Sami Zayn taking on NXT champion Adrian Neville. I've said it before, I could watch these guys wrestle every night of the week and they would not disappoint. Tonight was no exception as the two so perfectly matched wrestlers looked to outdo each other. The slow heel turn of Adrian Neville seems to be picking up speed for sure and that dynamic is just proving to make things more interesting between the two. Neville seemed more arrogant, and more phased by the crowds Sami chants. When in the ring though all notions of good guy and bad guy go out the window and it's pure back and forth poetry in motion between the two competitors. After a grueling match that seemed to be swinging in the favor of Neville he found himself the victim of an exploder suplex followed by a helluva kick allowing Sami Zayn the victory.

Three weeks from now these two will meet with the title on the line once again. If tonight is any indication time is running out for Neville, and the road to redemption for Sami Zayn is finally reaching its climactic end.

Friday, November 14, 2014

NXT Orlando 11-13-14


As the men and women of NXT prepared to do battle in their home away from home The Orlando Armory, fans lined up for another night of unrivaled wrestling action. There was electricity in the air as fans not only packed in to see their favorite athletes, but to see the anxiously anticipated arrival of an international superstar. Like always the young and hungry wrestlers of NXT aimed to tear the house down.


Perhaps there is no better way to fire up a crowd than by starting the night with the super charismatic duo of Enzo Amore and Big Cass. The two made their way out to much fan fare followed by their opponents, The Mechanics. The match starts off with plenty of comedic spots with Enzo getting over on the Mechanics before they find themselves in control. This is where all involved excel, Dawson and Wilder with frequent tags and rough offense while Enzo is always at his best as underdog selling his opponents offense. Eventually Amore would find an opening and make the hot tag to Big Cass who cleared the ring of Dawson and laid out Wilder with a swinging side slam. This was a solid opening contest that did its job of hyping the fans very well. Big Cass seems to be really coming into his own as a wrestler while The Mechanics ,who are already favorites, are getting even better every show.



Next up, Aiden English accompanied to the ring by Simon Gotch, took on Kalisto. The match was barely underway before Gotch tried to get involved. Referee Drake Wuertz would have no patience for it tonight and quickly ejected Gotch from ringside. With the odds even the match continued and Kalisto took the early advantage. English eventually grounded the high flyer and took control of the match. When the tide began to turn back Simon Gotch ran back to the ring to cause distraction only to have things backfire as Kalisto launched English into Gotch knocking him off the apron. A disoriented English would turn around to walk into a corkscrew body press giving Kalisto the pinfall victory. An angry Vaudevillians would commence a beat down on Kalisto after the bell. English took to the mic and announced that December 11th the tag team belts would be theirs. All I can say is I hope so. Kalisto is an amazing athlete, but it makes little sense to have him hold the belts with an absentee partner. The NXT tag team division is stronger than ever with many teams that deserve to be fighting for the straps.



The evening continued with six man tag team action as the team of Steve Cutler, Elias Sampson and Hugo Knox took on the newly formed staple Shoot Nation, consisting of Chad Gable, Sawyer Fulton, and Angelo Dawkins. Shoot Nation took control early on and kept that control for much of the match keeping Knox in taking punishment until he made the hot tag to Elias Sampson who was explosive with the time he got in the ring before tagging Knox back in. Hugo made the win for his team with a flying cross body to Dawkins for the pin. This was only the second match for the highly athletic Hugo Knox, while I'm not sure about his ring gear or his chippendale-like dancing, his athleticism couldn't be denied. In fact, while all men impressed I would say it was Knox, along with Gable who were the stars of the match. Chad Gable, whether playing the undersized underdog or the leader of a heel faction is impressive as can be and fun to watch. This was a great match and a definite highlight of the evening, impressive considering the participants are either new guys or guys that have yet to make a large impact yet.



Ty Dillinger was out next dancing his way out to the ring to burlesque stripper music and shaking his rear for the ladies. The good time wouldn't last long for Dillinger because out next was the lone wolf and possibly the most destructive guy in the locker room, Baron Corbin. All silly gimmick aside, Ty Dillinger is a truly talented wrestler and he showed it here putting forth a good effort against Corbin. In fact he was in control for much of the match, at one point even putting Corbin down with a beautiful looking superkick that could have very well ended the match. Unfortunately for Ty, Corbin found an opening and when he gets momentum going he is practically unstoppable with power moves that look absolutely brutal culminating in the end of days and the win for Baron Corbin. It's nice to see Corbin wrestling lengthier matches and selling more offense. Squash matches are fun for a bit but matches like these are going to do more for him in the long run. Hopefully he'll get to do some like this on television soon.



The condescending CJ Parker is out next berating the audience to some genuine heel heat. His opponent is the returning Solomon Crowe. This match had some good back and forth but it was Solomon Crowe that really stood out here with his offense that can be at once erratic and explosive. He looked to have the match won at several points but the tenacious Parker managed to plant Crowe with a facebuster gaining a hard fought victory. Another great match on a great card. Crowe is exciting to watch and definite main event material. Parker to his credit is indeed underrated and has been a part of some great matches lately.



Next up was womens tag team action as the team of Alexa Bliss and Bayley took on Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. As usual the women set out to steal the show and they did a great job of it. I'm a fan of all four ladies and a usual they all did a great job here. Alexa Bliss has come so far in the past year and it is becoming apparent why she is rumored to be so prominent on peoples radar. For this blogger, it is Becky Lynch who is possibly the most polished women on the roster as far as in ring ability, however, it is the well rounded Sasha Banks who is probably the most ready for the main roster. With a little craftiness and a little distraction Banks managed to nail Bayley with a backstabber and roll into her “Bank Statement” giving her team the victory via tapout.



The war between Jason Jordan and Bull Dempsey continued with each man seeking one more victory over the other. The match started out with each man feeling each other out until Bull took the early advantage. Dempsey takes his time setting up his matches often leading in with frequent rest holds before picking up the pace. Jason Jordan has all the tools to make it, including strength which is showed off at one point tossing Dempsey over with an impressive fallaway slam. Tonight it would be Dempsey picking up newest victory in their feud putting Jordan down with a flying headbutt.



Our much anticipated main event of the evening is the two man juggernaut known as The Ascension taking on the dream team of Hideo Itami and Finn Balor. Before the bell can even ring all four men are in the ring brawling and the crowd simultaneously moves to the edge of their seats. Eventually the referee gets the match under control and a traditional tag match follows. Balor and Hideo took the early advantage however The Ascension would not make it easy for them and eventually gain control. Konnor and Viktor punished Hideo for much of the match proving why they are the most destructive tag team on the planet. The Ascension shouldn't be overlooked here as their most recent work is probably some of there best. The man with perhaps the most to prove, Finn Balor would justify all the hype he has arrived with as soon as he was tagged in laying waste with lightening fast speed and kicks. Eventually control of the match would be lost and the victory would be awarded to Balor and Hideo via disqualification, but the statement was made. That statement being with the arrival of Finn Balor, the landscape of NXT is about to change dramatically.


Friday, November 7, 2014

NXT Lakeland 11-6-14

Still rumbling from the last onslaught of wrestling action, NXT returned to The National Guard Armory in Lakeland, Fl for another night of spectacle and high energy athleticism. It was another full house, as fans piled into the building to see their favorite superstars do battle. As usual, fans would not leave disappointed.


The action gets underway with high flying Kalisto taking on the hippie everyone loves to hate CJ Parker. Unfortunately Parker didn’t have a live mic because quite frankly putting the audience in their place is what he does best. So with no verbal berating, the bell rings and match begins. Kalisto takes control early on with his speed that is nearly unmatched in NXT and a flurry of moves that leaves CJ exasperated. Eventually though the size advantage of Parker comes into play and he manages to ground his smaller opponent. The durable Kalisto managed to take advantage of an opening, building up to a blur of momentum culminating in the “Samuray Del Sol” and a victory via pinfall. Kalisto impressed as always with his speed and innovative offense. CJ Parker is underrated in my opinion; he’s great on the mic, sells really well, and gets heat like no other.


The night continued with tag team action as The Mechanics took on the team of Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy in what was most definitely a highlight of the evening. Murphy and Blake were on fire in the early going making frequent tags keeping Dawson and Wilder on the defensive. However The Mechanics are no team to take lightly as they eventually gave it back just as good as they got it with their rough smashmouth offense. The two teams battled a match that could have went either way, but tonight the better team was The Mechanics who took the victory. These are two of the best teams you’ll find on the NXT or WWE roster, put them in a program for tag gold and they will tear it up every night of the week.


Solomon Crowe, who has been out with a chipped tibia bone finally returned to deliver an excellent promo. To be blunt, he made it clear he had no problem with the new crop of stars in NXT such as Hideo Itami and Finn Balor, they are just more guys he gets to defeat and “kick in the face”. As I said before he was injured, hopefully we are finally on the verge of a push for the man they call Solomon Crowe.


Jason Jordan made his way to the ring to take on NXTs resident wrecking ball Bull Dempsey. Jordan would not be intimidated by Dempsey and took the fight right to the big man until Bull took over and controlled the pace of the match. Dempsey has become reliant on rest holds of late to wear down his opponents and slow the match. However, tonight Jordan would have none of it as his final flurry of offense seemed to explode out of nowhere. Jordan showed off his strength with an impressive fallaway slam and then a few moments later an Olympic slam that put Bull out to pasture giving him the decisive victory.


Next up, Sawyer Fulton challenged the realest guy in the room Enzo Amore. Fulton seems to be connecting more with the fans these days but it is the charismatic Amore who has the crowd behind him as always. Enzo used his agility to stay one step ahead of his much larger opponent in the opening moments of the bout until Fulton took charge. Enzo is at his best when playing the underdog, which he did for most of the match as Fulton tossed him around like a rag doll. Never count out the tenacious Enzo Amore though who has the ability to snatch a victory from out of nowhere, which he did once again. Fulton has the size and skill to go far if booked properly; it seems he’s found an image that works for him.


Another man who has seen his share of gimmick changes lately, Ty Dillinger danced his way into the ring to old fashioned striptease music (and luckily no gyrating) only to find his performance cut short for the entrance of Baron Corbin. Dillinger spent the opening moments trying to evade the unstoppable Corbin and at one point even trying to quit and leave before being tossed back into the ring. Dillinger perhaps fared better than previous competitors by managing to take out the leg of the big man, even punishing him with a figure four before the inevitable happened and Corbin regained control putting an emphatic end to the match with the brutal “End Of Days”. Ty Dillinger is another underrated wrestler who has proven when given the time and spotlight that he can deliver, but this gimmick doesn’t do it for me and I’m not even sure the talented Dillinger can go very far with it.


In NXT it is not uncommon for the women to steal the show and tonight they did it again as the champ Charlotte took on former BFF Sasha Banks in an excellent contest. Like many, I’ve been looking forward to seeing these two feud for some time and in battle they did not disappoint. It was a pro Flair crowd but Banks would not be deterred or intimidated taking the fight to the champ in an exciting back and forth match up. After a hard fought battle Charlotte missed with her “Natural Selection”, and Banks pounced rolling up the champ for a clean win in this non-title match. Both ladies delivered here; no doubt they will look to steal the show again at the next live special.


The evening continued with tag team action as The Vaudevillians took on The Ascension. No matter how either of these teams are booked it seems the crowd is always behind them, but tonight this crowd was more so behind the former tag champs Konnor and Viktor. The manliest of all tag teams would not be fazed by the fearsome Ascension taking the fight right to them and eventually taking control over Viktor for much of the match until he made the hot tag to Konnor. But surprisingly in the chaotic final moments of the match they would even take control over him as Gotch impressively hoisted the big man onto his shoulders for a rolling senton. English executed a perfect senton off the second rope and went for the pin which Viktor broke. It looked as if The Ascension would turn things around, but English nailed a running swinging neckbreaker on Konnor gaining the win for his team.


In our main event of the evening the gorgeous one Tyler Breeze took international superstar Hideo Itami. Hideo comes to NXT with much hype but apparently Tyler Breeze is unimpressed lounging on the turnbuckle before reluctantly beginning the match. Breezes moneymaker may have never been in greater danger as it was against the furious feet of Itami. Breeze admonished him, “No kicks! We’re not doing that!”, but Itami would not be deterred. Hideo appears to be more comfortable in the ring and not holding back with his famed stiff kicks that seemed to make the crowd cringe on several occasions. Breeze held his own though, doing what he does and proving why he is a main event player and had control over Itami on several occasions. The two men were evenly matched and put on an excellent match that culminated with Breeze taking a superkick to the face giving Hideo Itami the victory and sending the fans of Lakeland home happy.