The show opens with highlights of last week’s NXT Title match, which saw Bo Dallas end the six-month reign of Big E. Langston
ADRIAN NEVILLE vs. BRAY WYATT
Are you as excited for this as your reviewer, reader? You should be, because this should be awesome. William Regal is notable by his absence, and the commentating team suffers as Brad Maddox steps into the color commentary spot. Neville tries to use his speed to get an advantage, but Wyatt’s able to use his strength to keep it at his pace early on. Neville is able to hit a big kick on Wyatt, but when he goes up top for his twisting shooting star press, Luke Harper shoves him off the top rope to force the disqualification. The Wyatt Family jumps Neville after the match but the cavalry’s on it’s way, as Kassius Ohno and Corey Graves hit the ring to help out Neville. Wyatt watches with a smile as Ohno and Graves attack his family, but ducks out of the ring when they charge him. As the Wyatt Family retreats, “Common Man Boogie” hits and out walks NXT General Manager Dusty Rhodes! Dusty books a six-man tag for later on tonight!
This match wasn’t given near enough time to really get going, but fuck it, we get a six man in a few!
LATER TONIGHT – Sasha Banks vs. Summer Rae in a NXT Women’s Title Tournament Match, and that six man main event!
ANGELO DAWKINS vs. SAMI ZAYN
Zayn is already getting over in front of the Full Sail locals. Dawkins is making his NXT debut, I believe. They exchange some chain wrestling, and Zayn hits some beautiful armdrags. Dawson and Maddox talk about Zayn’s past on the indie scene. Which is weird, because I don’t recognize him. He’s the same size as someone who worked quite a bit on the indies, but that guy was Mexican, not Canadian. Dawkins uses his strength and size to take control. Zayn avoids a charge into the corner by Dawkins, hits a high leg lariat, and then hits his springboard tornado DDT, which I want them to call In-Zayn in the Membrane, for the win.
The Leo Kruger promo from the last two weeks re-airs. NXT’s usually been pretty good about changing up the vignettes they air, so it’s odd that this one, without any changes, has aired for the last three weeks.
SASHA BANKS vs. SUMMER RAE
Maddox is trying hard to put over Summer Rae’s “First Lady of NXT” nickname, that I thought had pretty much been dropped because of how long it’s been since it was mentioned. Rae takes advantange with some leg-centric offense, kicks and chokes. Rae’s probably the roughest NXT Diva in the ring, but also one of the most established characters and a natural as far as getting her personality over. She hits a hair pulled front leg sweep on Sasha, before choking her in the corner. Kind of like what Kevin Nash used to use, only far more pleasing to the eye. Rae is able to counter a tackle attempt with a DDT. The girls exchange chops, and Banks hits a springboard armdrag. Summer hits a reverse DDT with a leg drop for the win to advance to round two.
Not a great match, but it’s not hard to see why Summer’s already on WWE programming, as her personality, not her ring work, will make her a star.
Xavier Woods is backstage, where he, Troy McClure style, lists the episodes of NXT he’s appeared on before, and then promises to raise the roof now that he’s back. His watch gives him the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme beep, and he walks away, saying that it’s Morping Time.
JAKE CARTER vs. XAVIER WOODS
I’m happy to see Woods on my (internet) TV. As Consequences Creed, he showed a lot of personality in his TNA run, although he’s never really gained any traction in WWE Developmental. Vader’s son gets the jobber entrance for this one. Maddox spends the entire Woods entrance shrieking about him being a nerd. They trade offense and Woods is able to hit a big spinning headscissors. Carter fights back and hits a Mr. Perfect style neck-snap. Carter goes off the middle rope, but gets hit with a shot to the midsection. Woods hits a big flying forearm, followed by a running front dropkick. Then, after shouting It’s Morphing Time!, Woods hits the Honor Roll, a front roll into a forearm, followed by his finisher, Lost in the Woods, which is a falling kick to the face for the win. Woods dances for the crowd after the match.
Renee Young is backstage with Sami Zayn. He says that tonight’s match was a message for Antonio Cesaro, because last week he beat him, but he didn’t appreciate getting jumped after the match. Zayn tells Cesaro he’s a great wrestler but challenges him to round three. I’M IN.
D-Squared and Sylvester Lefort are complaining about not being the number one contenders to the tag team titles, but Dusty’s within earshot, and he makes fun of Lefort’s French accent. Dusty books D-Squared against Graves and Ohno in a number one contenders match next week.
In a pre-taped vignette, Dallas is in his car, shouting about being the NXT Champion. He apologizes for not being at Full Sail this week, but he’s been busy doing WWE Live Shows and radio interviews. He reveals he did go to Disney World, and promises he’ll be back next week. He finishes the promo by singing “Don’t Stop Bo-Lieving”.
Next week, Big E Langston returns to the NXT Arena!
ADRIAN NEVILLE, KASSIUS OHNO, and COREY GRAVES vs. THE WYATT FAMILY
Graves and Harper start things off. Graves is able to use his speed to his advantage, working in a quick tag to Ohno. Harper tags in Rowan after getting back to his corner, and Rowan uses his strength to control Ohno, until a Yakuza kick on the apron counters a charging Rowan. Ohno pulls Rowan to his corner and Neville tags himself in, but this allows Rowan to tag in Bray. Harper is able to overpower Neville. Harper goes for a slingshot into the corner, but Neville catches himself and hits a double stomp counter onto Wyatt. The size of the Harper family allows them to control Neville, until Neville hits a spinning headscissors onto Harper and tag in Graves. Graves locks a headscissors submission onto Harper, draping himself over the top rope for extra leverage. Big boot by Harper, but it only gets a two.
Back from commercial, both Wyatt and Graves are in dire straights. They show a highlight from the commercial break of Wyatt hitting a running cross body onto Graves. Rowan tags in and locks in a bear hug, and then sends Graves into the corner and tags in Harper. They trade punches, and Harper locks on a chinlock over his shoulder. Graves fights out, and but runs into a big elbow from Luke. Harper tags in Wyatt, who hits a big sitting splash onto Graves. Graves is able to avoid another sitting splash, and gets over to his corner, tagging in Ohno. Kassius comes in with the hot tag, until Rowan throws him over the top rope from the opposite turnbuckle. The Harper family is able to isolate Ohno from his partners, and Rowan hits a big pumphandle backbreaker, but only gets a two! Harper tags in, but as he charges Ohno, they collide heads. Harper tags in Bray, and Ohno’s able to tag in Neville. neville comes in, attacking everything, house afire, and hits a standing shooting star press for two, then kicks Wyatt out of the ring. He goes for a dive, but Rowan’s in the ring stopping him. Ohno comes in and kicks Ohno out of the ring, which allows Neville to hit a big flipping splash onto the Harper Family. Neville hits an enzuigiri on the apron, but as he goes for his twisting shooting star, Harper pulls Wyatt out of the ring. Wyatt’s able to slide back in, and get the pin on Neville.
Overall, this show was a step down from previous weeks, but it was still enjoyable. The main event never really got beyond “pretty good”, but it was still wasn’t bad, by any stretch.
