WWE Worlds Collide (February 2019)

Original Airdate: February 2, 2019 (taped January 26 – 27)

From Phoenix, Arizona; Your Hosts are Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Vic Joseph, and Nigel McGuinness

Opening 15-Man Battle Royal: The order of elimination determines the matches for the first round, with the winner getting a bye to the second round. We've got: Adam Cole, Cedric Alexander, Dominik Dijakovic, Drew Gulak, Humberto Carrillo, Jordan Devlin, Keith Lee, Mark Andrews, Shane Thorne, TJP, Tony Nese, Travis Banks, Tyler Bate, Velveteen Dream, and Zack Gibson. Dream comes out acting like he's the biggest star in the world, and above this whole thing... and somehow that doesn't lead to everyone ganging up on him right at the bell. I really like the setup for this show (it took place at the Royal Rumble Axxess fan convention event), which gives it the perfect indy flavor. WWE sized rings look MASSIVE in these types of venues though, like almost comically. Anyway, just the usual battle royal action here, with very little in the way of notable spots, until we get down to Devlin, TJP, Nese, and Dream as the final four. Most impressive thing about this match thus far is that Dream's headband has actually stayed in place through this whole thing. Dream wants an alliance with Devlin, but gets brushed off, so Dream decides to fight everyone off by himself. That doesn't go well, but he manages to avoid elimination by hanging on in the corner, and gets rid of TJP. He goes after Nese next, but nearly gets dumped before Devlin saves. Why, dummy? Oh well, no matter, as Dream dumps Nese moments later, and then immediately gets dropkicked out by Devlin at 19:24. Yeah, this was not good, and way too long. ¼*

First Round Match: Humberto Carrillo (205 Live) v Zack Gibson (NXT UK): This is the only match from the first round that they are airing. Why not just skip right to showing the Quarterfinals, if that's the case? Gibson attacks before the bell, but Carrillo uses speed to fight off the blitz, and a sunset flip gets him two. Carrillo with a pair of strikes ahead of a springboard armdrag, and a neat corkscrew dropkick leaves Zack hiding in the ropes. Gibson manages a cheap shot as Carrillo goes after him, and a single-arm DDT gets him two. He works a cobra clutch from there, and uses a suplex to keep Carrillo down when he's trying to escape. Short-clothesline gets two, so Gibson grounds him again with a half-nelson clutch, but Carrillo fights into the corner to escape. Carrillo starts making a comeback, and a missile dropkick sets up a rolling moonsault for two. Enzuigiri gets two, but Gibson dodges a flying moonsault, and he drops Carrillo with a tombstone facebuster for two. That should have been the finish right there. Gibson grounds him in a hold again, but Carrillo escapes, and we have a reversal sequence. Carrillo tries a rana into a cradle, but Gibson reverses for two, so Carrillo hits a springboard enzuigiri, and uses a slingshot moonsault to advance at 6:28. When I learned that they were only showing one match from the first round, I figured it must be some blow away great match that you just HAVE to see. This was not that. Like, at all. * ½

Quarterfinal Match: Jordan Devlin (NXT UK) v Drew Gulak (205 Live): Gulak is someone who could really benefit from some new gear. Feeling out process to start, with Devlin able to dominate, and he uses a side backbreaker to send Drew into the corner for a bootchoke. Jordan with a snapmare into a mat-based abdominal stretch, but a sunset flip gets reversed for two, and both guys get busted trying leveraged pins. That leads to a slugfest, and Jordan takes him into the corner, but hits boot on a charge. That allows Drew an uppercut, but Jordan comes at him again, and they both end up throwing headbutts at the same time for a double knockout. Jordan recovers and tries a springboard moonsault press, but he gets caught in a dragon sleeper on the landing, and nearly taps before managing an escape. Jordan with a slingshot cutter for two, and he drills Drew with a series of clotheslines, but a criss cross goes Gulak's way with a nice transition into a sunset cradle for two. Jordan fires back with a victory roll for two, and a bicycle kick sets up a short-suplex for two. Drew ties him up in a hold, but Devlin uses his fists to escape, so Gulak corner clotheslines him. He goes for a follow-up, but Devlin is ready with a death valley driver at 11:41. Well, that finish felt like it was out of nowhere. This whole match did not work well, with no flow, and lots of awkward exchanges. *

Semifinal Match: Adam Cole (NXT) v Tyler Bate (NXT UK): Wait, semi? We're skipping all but one of the quarterfinal round, too? And for THAT shit match? I like how these guys have a streaming Network, but are still editing like they're trying to squeeze everything onto a VHS tape. Feeling out process to start, with Bate frustrating him most of the way through. Dropkick sends Cole to the outside to regroup, but he stalls, so Bate goes after him - only to get kicked in the head as he does. That allows Adam to take over as they head back in, and he uses a neckbreaker, before beating Bate down in the corner. Chinlock, but he trash talks Bate, and gets blasted with a 2^nd rope flying uppercut. That allows Tyler to use an airplane spin into a pop-up uppercut for two, but Adam fights him off with a chincrusher. Bate fires back with a suplex into a running shooting star press for two, but Cole backdrops out of the tiger driver, and throws a bicycle kick into a fireman's neckbreaker for two. Suplex, but Bate counters with a small package for two, and uses a leg-feed enzuigiri. They fight over a German suplex, with Bate eventually getting it into a bridge for two, and they stagger up into a slugfest. Cole uses a cheap shot to win it, but a superkick misses, and Tyler uses a jab. He tries a follow-up, but Cole is waiting with that superkick, and a fireman's neckbreaker leads to a shining wizard for two. Again, but Bate ducks, so Cole uses another superkick. Bate rebounds with a lariat, however, and the tiger driver finishes at 10:31. This was by no means bad, but it was by every means disappointing. **

Semifinal Match: Jordan Devlin (NXT UK) v Velveteen Dream (NXT): Dream wants to wrestle in his Seinfeld puffy shirt, but the referee makes him take it off, which seems like a weird article of clothing for a referee to suddenly care about in a promotion where guys where belts and chains and stuff into the ring on a regular basis. Anyway, we find out that the reason he wanted to wear the shirt is that he's sporting taped up ribs underneath, and you know Devlin will target that shit. Dream tries to flex by doing the hip swivel anyway, but you can see that he's worried. Devlin goes right for it with a waistlock, and Dream is on the defensive from the get-go here. Dream tries for a fireman's carry during a criss cross, but the ribs act up, and Devlin escapes. Dream dropkicks him to the outside instead, but a springboard dive on the way back in is caught in a uranage, and Devlin immediately adds a standing moonsault. Jordan goes to work on the ribs, and I've got to stop and note that this dude's taunts are weak as fuck. Devlin with a kneedrop to the ribs for two, and he stretches him in a mat-based abdominal stretch, while launching forearm clubs to the injured area. Uppercut sends Dream out to the apron, and Devlin drags him back in with a backbreaker for two. Jordan leans back in a chinlock to aggravate the ribs, and I appreciate the psychology, but he really should be going in for the kill already. Dream escapes and starts making a comeback, but the ribs prevent the death valley driver, so he has to settle for a superkick for two instead. Dream goes up, so Devlin dives into the ropes to knock him down to the apron, but Dream holds the ropes to block a sunset bomb. That allows him a moonsault press off of the apron (sans springboard), and he rolls Jordan in to hit with a flying bodypress, but Devlin rolls through for two. Lungblower gets Devlin two, so Dream tries a sunset flip for two, but Devlin reverses for two. Reversal sequence sees Dream muscle him up for the DVD, but Jordan escapes again, so Dream rolls the dice for two instead. Dream tries to go to the top, but the ribs are just too battered, and he's forced to abandon that to try for a rollup, but now Devlin has had time to recover. He blocks, and takes Dream for a ride with a short-suplex for two, but a flying moonsault hits the knees, and Dream guts out the cartwheel DVD! To the top, and Dream lands the flying elbowdrop to advance at 12:22! Now that's more like it! Good, focused match here, one that had a story to tell, and told it well. Nice selling from Dream throughout. *** ¼

Worlds Collide Tournament Final #1 Contender's Match: Velveteen Dream (NXT) v Tyler Bate (NXT UK): Winner gets a shot at the top title of any of the three represented divisions. Feeling out process to start, with Dream on the defensive as he shields his ribs. He suckers Tyler into a chase, but an attempt at a flying axehandle ends badly when Bate drills him in the ribs on the way down. Bate with an elbowdrop for two, and he grounds Dream in a mat-based abdominal stretch. Popular hold tonight. Dream fights to a vertical base, but Bate keeps the hold locked on tight, until Dream finally manages a hiptoss. Tyler responds with a couple of headbutts to the ribs, and uses a bodyslam for two. Wow, a nearfall off of a bodyslam. How 1985. Bate works a bodyscissors, but Dream powers up with a bodyslam of his own. He hustles to the top, but Bate is able to drop him front-first across the ropes to block the dive, and he superplexes him down for two. And that's the end for Dream's headband, too. Bate with a German suplex into a waistlock, and a headbutt to the ribs knocks the wind out of Dream. Again, but this time Dream blocks with a kneelift, and he starts making a comeback. Roll of the dice, but Bate blocks, so Dream fires a superkick into a rocker dropper for two instead. Dream heads up with the flying elbowdrop, but Bate rolls out of the way, and crucifix cradles him for two. Koppou kick, but Dream shifts right into the cartwheel death valley driver as he falls, for two. Great transition there. Another DVD, but this time Tyler is able to slip free, and the rebound lariat sets up the tiger driver for two. He slaps on a Boston crab, but Dream nears the ropes, so he switches to an elevated version to really crank on him. Dream keeps fighting, and forces his way out with a series of boots, then hooks it into a cradle for two. Superkick, but Bate dodges, and he throws a shot at the ribs. Dream fires right back with another superkick, sticking it this time, but an attempt at a tiger driver is countered with a rana into a cradle for two. A frustrated Bate tries charging, but gets dumped over the top in the process, and Dream dives after him with a flying axehandle. Dream goes to the top on the way back in, but Tyler crotches him up there, and follows. Tiger driver off the top, but Dream manages a backdrop to counter, and the flying elbowdrop connects to give Dream the tournament at 16:11. This told a similar story as the match it followed, but it's a good and logical story, so you can't really knock it. *** ¼

BUExperience: Well... that was kind of a letdown. I like the concept, but the execution was lacking. For one thing, that battle royal at the start was a huge waste, and could have easily been jettisoned in favor of showing more of the actual tournament matches. I think something like this in more complete form, and maybe with some of the bigger stars from each brand is worth exploring, though.

*