The Glimpse:
Tag Team gauntlet for a title shot, ladies in action, El Local returns to take on El Ge…Sami Zayn. Aiden English entertains us as only he can. And an Earth-shaking announcement from WWE’s COO!
The Action:
Brad Maddox is in the back, approached by Tyler Breeze, then CJ Parker. After a handshake, Maddox uses some sanitizer. Parker and Breeze argue and Maddox decides to team them up for Tag Team Turmoil. Both guys are very upset about this. This is the greatest segment Brad Maddox has ever taken part in and I mean that with the utmost sincerity.
Match 1: Tag Team Turmoil for an NXT Tag Team Title Shot
Winners: The Ascension
This is a tag team gauntlet, starting with Enzo and Big Cass vs Tyler Breeze and CJ Parker.
Amore and Parker start it off and exchange holds. Parker catches Amore’s foot and turns it into an airplane spin and a front slam. Amore goes to the corner and eats shotgun knees. Breeze wants a tag but Amore makes one of his own – Cass pins Parker with a swinging uranage.
Next up are the Legionnaires – Alexander Rusev and Scott Dawson, along with Sylvester Lefort. Oddly enough Amore and Cass take the opposite corner this time. Cass starts by hammering on Dawson who kicks out at one and elbows away at the bigger man. Rusev tags in and they exchange bombs until Rusev runs into a big boot for one. Amore tags in and runs right into a Samoan drop. Dawson tags in and boots Enzo in the gut. Dawsom pressures him in the corner, then lays him on the middle rope and gives another boot to the midsection. Amore runs into a spinebuster, but grabs a small package to eliminate the Legionnaires. Rusev takes out Cass then throws his body at Amore in the corner. This paves the path for The Ascension.
O’Brian immediately clotheslines the already-hurt Cass then tags in Rick Victor to lay into him. Tags back and forth to keep the pressure on Big Cass and Victor runs into an elbow in the corner. Cass throws a right hand and wants a tag, but he gets grounded. O’Brian tags in for repeated shoulder blocks, but he runs into a big boot for a one count. Amore tags in but runs into a huge flapjack. The Ascension hit Total Elimination on Enzo to win the gauntlet and the tag title shot.
Match 2: Bayley vs Sasha Banks
Winner: Sasha Banks via pinfall
Renee Young is on commentary with William Regal. This is an excellent day.
Tie up mid ring and Bayley walks Sasha to the corner, then gives her a high-ten. Sasha takes exception and slaps the bejeezus out of Bayley, who answers with a drop toe hold for one. Bayley follows with a majistral roll and a standing arm bar. Sasha fights out and catches Bayley with a wheelbarrow powerbomb out of the corner. Sasha throws Bayley to the turnbuckle so hard that her hairband falls off and then discards it. Sasha snapmares Bayley and chinlocks her with a body scissors. Bayley bridges back, forcing a break, but Sasha hits a snap suplex for two. Bayley with forearms in the corner, then a jumping one. Bayley with Sheamus-style axe handles which Sasha answers with a chop. Sasha runs the ropes with a knuckle lock to throw Bayley to the corner, but she misses a splash in the corner. Bayley hits the belly-to-hug suplex for two but Sasha throws her to the rope and hits Damien Sandow’s Terminus for the win.
Banks destroys Bayley’s headband and Summer Rae announces that Fandango will be here next week. Apparently Sasha is “The Boss” now. Emma hits the ring after Summer talks some trash and chases them off.
Match 3: Aiden English vs Bull Dempsey
Winner: Aiden English via pinfall
Aiden English sings his way to the ring and does indeed have a different song for this week. This is the difference between a boring gimmick and one that people can get behind, whether to love the guy or “hate” him. Bravo, sir.
Tie up midring and English grabs a headlock. English surprisingly shoulders him to the mat. Once again to the ropes, and once again to the mat. English trash talks while he wrestles, which when done is ALWAYS fun. Bull finally shoulders English down, but he answers with two boots and a flurry of rights. English with the dramatic leaping leg drop, then asks Bull to Take A Bow with his version of the Side Effect, winning it.
Immediate “Encore” chant from the crowd. This NXT crowd is so fun. Aiden grants their wish.
Renee tries to get a word with Summer Rae, who offers a challenge to Emma – Get a partner to face Summer and Fandango.
“Renee, do you know why the fans will go home happy?”
“Because of your outfits?”
Renee Young should ALWAYS HAVE A MICROPHONE IN HAND.
Match 4: El Local vs Sami Zayn
Winner: Sami Zayn via pinfall
Zayn and Local exchange arm wrenches mid ring until Local shoulders him down. Zayn with a leap frog and the trio of arm drags to corner Local. He follows with a running hurricanrana for two on Local. Local with a clothesline and an STO backbreaker out of the corner for a nearfall, then a running kick to the face. Local hits a suplex for one. Seated abdominal stretch by Local, but Zayn quickly fights out. Local hits a spinning back elbow, but runs into a calf kick and right hands. Zayn hits a back body drop and revs up in the corner, then hits the Yakuza kick to win it.
Bo Dallas walks out on stage and rambles on. He forgives Zayn for injuring him a while back and says he’ll have the Bo Dallas Invitational soon. Anyone who can pin him gets a title shot. Zayn offers to be first on the list. Bo offers to teach Sami Zayn about “the business” then says Zayn isn’t welcome in the Invitational.
Maddox takes a phone call and in walks Kassius Ohno. Kassius is upset that he’s been gone for so long. He’s medically cleared for some time now and wants to know why he hasn’t been on TV. Maddox declares Ohno a “D+”. Ohno says maybe he should just disrupt every match on every show. He says maybe he should knock out Maddox, who says he wouldn’t enjoy that. He continues haggling and offers a member of the Wyatt Family up for some revenge.
Triple H
The main event of NXT is HHH and a microphone. No buys.
The COO welcomes “us” to NXT. He says this is the fan’s show. He heaps praise on the crowd and the talent. Sami Zayn, Leo Kruger and Bo Dallas are called out by name. Triple H continues to point out that if the main roster suddenly suffered a loss, he could replace them with NXT Superstars. Mr H calls out issues with the Rhodes family…including the GM of NXT, Dusty Rhodes. Triple H has given Rhodes “time off” from running NXT. To replace him, the interim GM of NXT is…JBL! JBL revels in the crowd’s welcome and hushes a fan. JBL trash talks Dusty and his sons, saying that he will be best for business.
The Reaction:
That was a splendid gauntlet match. We got our comedy, we got our fun spots, we got our team that didn’t get along and we got a dominant finish. How is is that NXT consistently books logically while all the “main shows” are all over the freakin map?! It was a given that Ascension was taking this, but the route having so much of Amore and Cass was a huge bonus.
A little slow at times, but that was a good match between the two girls. Sasha has her mean streak now and it let her beat Bayley without any help. Odd to me that she’s using Damien Sandow’s Terminus to finish though – There’s a million neckbreaker variations she could use, why use a main roster Superstar’s finisher? Renee Young was solid on commentary. Considering Tony Dawson was released this week, I’d love to see her as the permanent replacement. Especially after the exchange with Summer Rae. She’s like a female Regal with the subtle jabs, instead of hammering you over the head with it.
Effective squash. Crowd seems to dig English’s bit and it’s pretty fun. If he keeps it fresh with the new songs, it’ll do well. Hard to say much else wrestling-wise, but I can enjoy this gimmick.
Good match between Ricardlocal Rodriguez and Zayn. Bo patronizing Sami Zayn is brilliant and makes that shit-eating grin worth it. Zayn won with the Yakuza kick this time – Probably just an indication that El Local is considered jobber-level.
Interesting wording…HHH can replace the main roster with NXT guys. Could he be teasing a corporate invasion? Perhaps sticking JBL down there to recruit him some heels? Planting the seed of worry in the main roster locker room? And he only buried like…three guys in that promo. That’s pretty good!
The Preview:
The return of Kassius Ohno, Fandango shows up and the Bo Dallas Invitational kicks off. The start of the JBL era of NXT sounds pretty damn good.
The Shill:
As always, if you like what you read here, let me know in the comments or on twitter @sbfantom. I sincerely would like to hear what people think and strike up some conversation!
