Good day for many an NXT Fan, like your humble re-cap-viewer. Not only do we get a fresh episode of NXT? But Pre-sales hit for NXT tour dates. So I got my NXT Philly tickets! (which with 2 days of War of the Worlds, means this guy is gonna have quite the week of WRESTLING in 2 weeks!)
RECAP!
Last week Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens brawled. What's gonna happen THIS week?
IN RING!
Kevin Owens is on his way out. Full Sail boos and chants "Fight Owens Fight" and sings "OLE" and Kevin stands there. Calls the OLE's "Cute". Says he was about to take care of Riley for good, but Sami had to play hero. So now Kev has his fists taped up and he says it won't be a sneak attack. But instead of Sami's music? Its William Regal's. Regal says Owens doesn't get to come out and further his own agenda. Owens says "With all Due respect…" (18 times outta 20 this is gonna be followed with some disrespect…) – Owens doesn't remember asking Regal to come out the ring. Sami's music hits. Regal says this is the easiest thing he's done in weeks. Owens/Zayn at Takeover for the NXT Championship. Owens is like "NUH… UH! He hasn't earned a title shot. He points out that Sami went home for a month, and snuck attacked him last week! So Sami says Owens NEEDS this match, because everything Owens has ever done in his career is attached to Sami Zayn. And Sami is willing to give Owens the chance to expunge him from his history and step out of "Sami Zayn's Shadow". But Sami fights for a PRIZE! (YAY! CONTINUITY!) – And Owens isn't that prize. The NXT Championship is that prize. Owens caves. We have our match for Takeover.
BACKSTAGE!
Mic stand is letting us know NXT is hitting the road. Dates scrolling on the bottom and he's interrupted by the bickering of the 5 boroughs crew. Cass and Enzo playing the big brothers, and Carmella lets them know she's a big girl and can take care of herself. They exit, she sits and Blake and Murphy walk in. They try to kick game. She shoots them down. They get coffee. Alexa Bliss walks in and she and Carmella mix it up. Carmella gives a slap-pie face and walks off. Blake and Murphy slide back in to console Alexa Bliss.
IN RING!
HOW. YOU. DOIN! Out come Enzo, Cass, and Carmella. Amazing how over they are with crowds. Its great. Blake and Murphy music hits, and my ears bleed, and now its produced with crazy spastic camera work that adds to my nausea. BaM dominate early on Enzo. Crowd rallying Enzo as he hits a sit down jaw breaker before making the hot tag to Cass. Cass clobbers and is wrecking house. Running splash and a sidewalk slam gets a two. Enzo air balls a crossbody. Murphy gets distracted, and Murphy gets got by a big boot. Cass assisted big splash by Enzo and the #1 Contenders just pinned the tag champs.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
Solid match. Crowd eats up everything Enzo with a spoon. Makes Enzo and Cass look even stronger and sets things up nicely. Whatever they're doing with Carmella in regards to this feud tonight was a great switch up. She was more anti-Blake and Murphy tonight than she has been.
BACKSTAGE!
Becky Lynch doing a sit-down interview. Giving us her history and her desire to become NXT Women's Champion.
BACKSTAGE!
Cut to Bayley. She blows off the interview because she can't find her stuff. Her t-shirt and headbands. Emma walks in all jerky miss-jerkface-y. Wearing the shirt and headbands. Sarcastically asks "Doesn't she need these?"
HYPE!
Baron Corbin hype piece. Comes of a little heelish here. Tag line is "You can't fight fate", not too bad.
IN RING!
Bayley is out! She has a couple slap bracelets, but clearly doesn't have all her gear. Full Sail very pleased to see NXT's Hugger. Dana Brooke is out next. She's athletic and impressive. Lets see how her 2nd TV match goes. Early standing exchange of arm holds. Dana going with some violent hair pulls to get the upper hand. Does her hand stand corner choke. Abuses Bayley on the ropes. Does a decent version of the Wasteland, and locks in a nasty single leg crab. Bayley fights out of it. Gets mean. Running axe handles. Corner elbow. Bayley goes to the top rope, and Bayley's music hits?! Out walks Emma in the Bayley gear. Emma taunts Bayley with her own stuff. This ends poorly for the Hugger. Huge running knee lift. The fireman's sit out driver for the 1..2..3! Bayley looks hurt. Emma taunts.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
Brooke gets a cheap win over the most popular woman on the roster. Emma and Bayley take the next logical step in their on going feud. Works for both. Dana Brooke looked a Lot better tonight than she did on her TV debut. I'm sure Bayley helps, but so does however many weeks of work she's had since that debut.
Backstage!
William Regal – Triple threat match at Takeover for #1 contendership. that match will be Balor, Breeze, and Itami. SSSUUUHHHHWWWEEEEEET!
IN RING!
Hideo Itami is on his way. Already a GTS chant. Hahahaha silly Full Sail. I'm guessing we don't see that until Takeover. Adam Rose is out next. Itami is almost confused by the crowd singing Rose's theme. Rose is all "SEE? THEY LIKE ME!" But then a huge "HIDEO" chant answers and Itami is like "Nope, they like ME!". Rose rolls around the ring and eats a chop and a nice stiff kick. Rose cheats to get an advantage. Works Itami over until Hideo can fight his way out. Hits a series of kicks. Strikes galore. Stalling corner dropkick. Shotgun kick. 1..2..3! No GTS for you Florida.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
Nice little spotlight match for Itami. I assume when we see Breeze and Balor fight in the next couple weeks they too will be victorious. Having the GTS in his back pocket is priceless. That triple threat probably stealing the show at Takeover.
BACKSTAGE!
Bayley is looking for Emma, and is none too pleased. She thought it was squashed (its not) … thinks she's getting her stuff back (she's not… at least not yet)
IN RING!
Becky Lynch is out. Sarah Dawson is in the ring. Awkward exchange to start. Rolls up, but Becky bridges out and hits a series of dropkicks. Becky being very aggressive and breaking some rules. Becky locks in a nasty armbar and wins by submission.
BACKSTAGE!
Rhyno addresses the Corbin hype piece. Says he isn't just the past. He's the present and the future. That's gonna be a SLOBBERKNOCKER! (Thanks JR)
IN RING!
RAGE! RILEY RAGE! OLE! SAMI OLE! Set up earlier tonight. Our Main Event is Riley and Zayn with Owens at the commentary table. Owens wants to see a nice competition. Owens also doesn't want the commentators to talk about Riley and Zayn. Owens doesn't like the Sami talk. Owens put on his jerk-pants for this bit of commentary work. Making the announce crew squirm. In the ring, After a little back and forth to start, Riley gets the upper hand. Hits a neck breaker for a two count. Owens likes Byron cuz Byron agrees with him all the time. In ring Zayn hits a kick. They exchange standing gut wrenches. Riley hits a Fireman's Carry Cutter, Marc Mero's TKO. Riley really working Zayn. Owens asking the announce team why they aren't calling the action. Okay we need to send Owens to Raw to talk smack! Zayn gets some offense. Hits the somersault to the outside and we hear a headset ruckus. And Owens ATTACKS. Slams Sami back first onto the ramp. Stands over him and as the crowd chants "Powerbomb" he runs and destroys Riley. The angle of the power bomb into the apron was nasty. Owens LAUGHS maniacally. Stands over Zayn. Backs up the ramp holding the title high
And… credits.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
Decent match that served to further the story for Zayn and Owens. The selling by the announcers was good. They came off legit scared of Owens, and considering what he did to Riley? It made perfect sense. The attack was well done too as Owens continues to be a wonderful jerk. That match will be excellent at Takeover.
TOO LONG! DIDN'T READ?
Overall NXT hit the ground running as we are only 3 weeks out from Takeover. The matches were solid, but this show was all about keeping the storylines moving. Two Takeover matches made officially official tonight: Owens/Zayn, and #1 Contender's Triple Threat. Assuming the Tag and Women's titles get defended. So that makes four. I think we might get Emma and Bayley… possibly Corbin and Rhyno. Takeover gonna be all kinds of fun.
See you seven for our next step down the highway to takeover.
