After Liam Slater was forced to become part of Joseph Conner’s crew, this week saw NGW turn its attentions to the Future.
This week’s show opens with a recap of the segment that saw RJ Singh debut with “The Future” – his new stable (April Davids, Little Miss Roxxy, Alex Gracie, Jake McCluskey, Alexander Hendry and Caden Lay).
After the usual open, we’re told that Robbie X will face Jake McCluskey of the Future, whilst The Proben face a mystery team… and we’re into Gen X action now!
Robbie X vs. Jake McCluskey
Yes, it’s the same Jake from Rev Pro (and “Jakey” for those who watched the FIGHT! Nation shows on YouTube). After Robbie X comes out, we have a sit-down promo with Jake, who reckons his social media went wild after he joined NGW… but he doesn’t want likes or retweets – he wants money. Makes sense!
Alex Shane surmises that RJ Singh is bitter because his time in the British scene came when the money wasn’t there. This match’ll have a ten-minute time limit under Gen X “touch the turnbuckles to start” rules, and we finally start with Robbie locking up, as he works over Jake’s left arm.
After some see-saw kip ups to escape a wristlock, Robbie hits back with suplexes and dropkicks for just a one-count. The pace slows down a little as they head into a break… and when we come back, we are confusingly treated to the ending of last week’s tag team match, where Liam Slater lost and was forced to join Joseph Conners’ squad. Why?! Can they not wait until after the match we’ve got going? It sure does reduce the importance of what we’re watching…
Now we’re back to the remains of the Robbie/Jake match, as McCluskey scores a dropkick off the ropes. Jake cartwheels off the apron before drilling Robbie with a superkick, but Robbie hits back with a tope after rushing back to the ring. A corner dropkick gets him a near-fall, and Jake decides to kick away at a grounded Robbie. McCluskey scores a near-fall from a shoulder tackle, before he looks to slow things down with a rear chinlock. Robbie elbows free and scores a couple of clotheslines, before a dropkick takes Jake down into the corner, where he’s left to take some running forearms and a bicycle kick. A suplex gets Robbie a two-count, before a second one is blocked as Jake eventually goes for something I’ve not seen before – a vertical suplex dropped into a sit-out powerbomb for a near-fall.
With three minutes left on the clock, McCluskey goes up top for a moonsault, but he lands on his feet before Robbie gets a wheelbarrow roll-up, then a German suplex. A roundhouse kick takes Jake down for a near-fall, and Robbie looks for his X-Express (OsCutter/handspring stunner)… but Singh gets up on the apron to block it. That leaves the referee distracted, but nothing comes of it, as a low dropkick cuts off a second X-Express attempt, leaving Robbie open for a knee strike.
RJ gets onto the apron to demand that Jake stops the cover, and instead orders him to go up top for a moonsault which gets him the win in 9 minutes. A decent match, but given the ten minute time limit, I’d have been keener to see the newcomer win in less time… and without a bloody highlight package from a different match in the middle of it! ***¼
After a commercial break, we’re shown clips of a Ligero & Liam Slater match against the Proven from earlier in the season, and then the fall-out with the Proven and their former manager Richie West. In sit-down promos, the Proven bemoan how Richie West kept blaming them for losses, and that their time will come.
The Proven are up next against a mystery team unveiled by Richie West – the London Riots!
The Proven (Caz Crash & Sam Wilder) vs. London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch)
The Riots come through the crowd and attack the Proven from behind – and this was taped when Lynch needed that face mask, as that’s still being worn.
The Riots throw the Proven to the outside, where they work over Wilder and Crash on the floor, ending with a pair of slams where the Proven were lawn-darted into each other. Another attempt is blocked as the Proven shove the Riots into each other, before Wilder hits a running kick off the apron whilst Davis eats a tope con hilo.
Finally the bell rings as Wilder gets a two-count on Davis, before Crash tags in and lands some uppercuts in the corner. The Proven go for a clothesline-assisted German suplex, but Lynch low-bridges Crash to the outside as they head to another commercial break. Thankfully, there’s no clips from another match after we return, but there is a huge back senton onto Wilder from Davis as the Riots collect a near-fall. Davis lands a series of cross-face punches to Wilder in the ropes, before a cravat keeps Wilder on the mat and away from a tag. After scoring a sunset flip, Wilder gets a near-fall, but the Riots stay on top of them with punches and shoulder charges, before Lynch tagged in to stomp away on Wilder in the corner.
In the middle of this match, Alex Shane casually mentions that Zack Gibson may be entered into that Davey Boy Smith Cup Tournament – if he returns to face Rampage Brown next week… seems a random time to casually mention that!
Lynch dumps Wilder with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, again getting a near-fall, before a second one was countered into a DDT as Sam finally tagged in Caz Crash. Caz hits a diving dropkick through the ropes to take down Davis, before a stumble from a missile dropkick saw him connect with some kicks to Lynch anyway. A ducked clothesline sees Caz hit back with a roundhouse for a near-fall, before Wilder comes in to help dish out Point Proven (Samoan Drop assisted with an Ace Crusher) onto Lynch for a near-fall.
The Riots come back with a pop-up uppercut to Wilder, before Crash hits a double dropkick that’s caught and turned into the District Line powerbomb for a near-fall. Another District Line is attempted, but Crash avoids it and after he shoves Lynch into Davis, he goes for a roll-up which gets them the win. A really great tag match, with maybe a little too much heat on Wilder early on, but by the end this was great! ***½
After the match, Dave Bradshaw recaps that dropped-in announcement from earlier that Zack Gibson will be petitioned to enter the Davey Boy Smith Cup Tournament – if he agrees to wrestle Rampage Brown next week – and that leads us to another sit-down promo with Gibson. Zack’s refusing to come back until he’s entered in the tournament, but it seems that that offer is going to be accepted, and that Gibson/Rampage match is next week!
Another solid show from NGW, with two good matches… marred by something that has crept into the show in recent weeks. I get that you want to show replays of important storylines, particularly when it’ll be a while before we see the next chapter, but don’t throw in clips of one match in the middle of another. If it’s confusing and jarring to a long-time wrestling fan, it’ll be even more so for the new fans this product is openly courting!