The Glimpse:
Bo “Goro” Dallas signs the contract for his NXT Championship match against Big E Langston. Bray Wyatt’s Family will defend their Tag Team Championship against the unlikely team of Kassius Ohno and Corey Graves, plus the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament begins.
The Action:
Contract Signing
Jim Ross opens the show for the contract signing between Bo Dallas and Big E Langston. E signs, then passes it to Bo, who needs to say something before he signs. The crowd gives him a “No more Bo” chant, Bo laughs a bit and talks about E being on Raw, being at Wrestlemania. Bo says that’s what he should be doing, and it’s all because he doesn’t have the NXT Championship. Bo doesn’t “want” it, he “needs” it. Bo says he’s signing a contract that could change his life. Bo says three seconds could make history, and the crowd reminds him he’s talking to the master of the five count. E says he respects Bo, but he’s the biggest baddest man in NXT. E calls Bo a geek and says he lives at home with mama and has footie pajamas. Bo signs the contract and shoves it into the chest of E, then heads to the back.
Renee Young welcomes Corey Graves. Graves says tonight isn’t just about the NXT Tag Titles; tonight the Wyatt family falls. Graves calls himself a one man army and says he doesn’t like his partner tonight, Kassius Ohno. He shows his Stay Down knuckle tats to the camera. Ugh.
Match 1: Tamina Snuka vs Paige, NXT Women’s Title Tournament First Round
Winner: Paige via pinfall
A lockup and Tamina launches Paige across the ring, which she answers with a kick to the gut and a headbutt. You never headbutt a Samoan wrestler! Tamina answers with a jumping headbutt of her own then whips Paige across the ring by her hair. Paige kicks out at one and Tamina suplexes her, then floats over for another one count. Paige tries a school girl, but Tamina takes a tumble, so she gets right back up to her feet and whips Paige by her hair again. Tamina settles into a chinlock and Paige quickly escapes but runs into a back elbow. Tamina hits a knee drop for yet another one count. Tamina goes back to the chinlock and as Paige fights up, she gets tossed back down to the mat. Tamina with a scoop slam and now a two count. A keylock from Tamina now, which Paige punches her way out of, then finds herself in a rear waistlock. Paige backs Tamina into the corner and hits multiple elbows; Paige steps away and turns around into a superkick. Tamina drags Paige all the way around the ring, then drops her back where she landed and heads to the top for a Superfly Splash, but Paige gets the knees up and pins her with a school girl.
Renee Young welcomes Kassius Ohno this time. Kassius says his plan of attack is…to attack. Ohno says tonight isn’t about Kassius and Graves; it’s about taking the Titles from the Family.
Match 2: Colin Cassidy vs Mason Ryan
Winner: Mason Ryan via pinfall
Cassidy, were he not wrestling Mason Ryan, would look imposing – He’s even taller and in great shape, but anyone is dwarfed by Ryan. Cassidy rocks Ryan with right hands and ducks a clothesline, then boots Ryan in the gut. He hammers the back of Ryan, who roars and boots Cassidy in the face. Ryan throws him into the corner and hits multiple headbutts. Into another corner and Ryan bores his shoulder into Cassidy, then hits a clothesline off the ropes. Ryan takes Cassidy up into the Rack for the inverted TKO and wins it.
Renee Young is earning her check tonight – It’s time to chat with Sami Zayn. Renee reminds us all that Zayn beat two men on his debut night. This draws Cesaro into the frame, who says Zayn got a cheap win. Zayn says the only thing cheap that night was getting popped in the back of the head after winning. Cesaro says he’s ticked off and wants Zayn in the ring again. Zayn says on one condition – He wants to know where Cesaro got his man purse. Cesaro slaps him and Zayn tackles him. Quickly broken up.
Match 3: Alex Riley vs Conor O’Brian
Winner: Conor O’Brian via submission
O’Brian stands like a statue after the bell rings and A-Ry rushes him, ending up in a headlock. A-Ry somehow gets knocked down off the ropes and O’Brian takes an extra lap to shoulder him back to the mat. O’Brian with a headlock takeover, then multiple more still on the ground. Riley headbutts out and chops away at O’Brian, then hits a back elbow off the ropes. Riley up to the top rope and a diving clothesline for one. Riley wants his lifting DDT, but O’Brian shoves him to the corner then hits snake eyes and an avalanche in the corner, followed by a flapjack. O’Brian locks in The Stockade submission and wins it. It’s basically a grounded Octopus.
Match 4: Kassius Ohno & Corey Graves vs Wyatt Family (c), NXT Tag Team Championship
Winners: Wyatt Family via pinfall
Wyatt introduces himself as the eater of worlds and says his brothers will give their own introduction in the ring.
Rowan starts it off with Ohno. Rowan powers him away, so Kassius tries a headlock this time. Rowan sends him to the ropes and Kassius locks in a cravat from a run. Rowan tries to slam him out of it, but Ohno holds onto the hold, only to get thrown to the ropes and shouldered down. Ohno with strikes to the corner, but Rowan tries to fight out. Ohno with another headlock and a tag to Graves. Graves’ turn for a headlock, but he gets leveled by a knee and Harper tags in. Graves tries a cross body, but gets caught. He ends up on the apron and tries a sunset flip, then a roll up, but Harper kicks out. Graves flips out of a hip toss into an arm drag and tags Ohno in to drop an axe handle on Harper’s arm. Harper hits a huge elbow to the head for a two count. Rowan tags back in as we head to commercial.
Back to action, Rowan has Ohno grounded. Ohno gets back to his feet and stomps on his opponent’s foot, but Harper gets tagged in and punches him in the gut, followed by European uppercuts. Ohno kicks out at two. Rowan tags back in and Ohno hits his reverse jawbreaker (skull breaker? I dunno). Graves tags in and clips the knee of Rowan. Graves wants Lucky 13 but gets distracted by Harper. Graves gets elevated to the apron and Harper boots him flat. Rowan rolls him in for a two count. Harper tags in and stomps on Graves then hits a back elbow and a knee drop for another two. Graves tries to fight from his knees, but Rowan tags in and knees him in the midsection, then again. Rowan with a pumphandle backbreaker but Graves is out at two again. Rowan takes Graves up into a Canadian backbreaker – Graves looks like a toy in the arms of Rowan. Graves slips out, but gets hammered down by Rowan. Rowan puts Graves in a headlock then drives him headfirst into the top turnbuckle. Harper tags in and takes Graves up for a suplex, reversed into a small package, then a crucifix for two. Graves makes the hot tag to Ohno who strikes away at Harper and takes Rowan off the apron. Ohno hits the forearm in the corner and a low dropkick, then boots Rowan away again. Ohno hits a senton for two on Harper. Wyatt hops on the ring steps to distract Ohno, but he ducks the incoming Harper, then hits a rolling headbutt after ducking the discus lariat. Rowan is in to break up the pin, but gets clotheslined over the top by Graves. Wyatt tags Ohno in the back of the head with an elbow behind the ref’s back and Graves answers by hitting a corkscrew dive onto him. Harper hits the discus lariat on Ohno and pins him during the chaos.
The Reaction:
Every time Bo Dallas picks up a mic, it’s a reminder of why he’ll never be a main eventer. Getting a negative chant from the crowd makes him laugh? Not good. Bo claims that Big E’s NXT Title is what has him on Raw and Smackdown, palling around with the World Heavyweight Champion. This would have more of an impact if Raw/Smackdown EVER acknowledged NXT or its Title. Or maybe E could carry the belt to the ring. This would also garner more people going “Oh, what’s NXT? I should check that out.” Lack of logic and consistency…vintage WWE.
Perfectly fine match from Paige and Tamina. Don’t quite understand why you would have Paige, the obvious favorite to win this tournament, get her ass whipped for 95% of this match, then win with knees and a roll up. Beating Tamina with the Paige Turner wouldn’t have hurt anything here. It’s not like Paige isn’t normally a dominant competitor.
Mason Ryan again. These wrestling companies insist on using the same guys over and over and over, regardless of how many times they falter in becoming stars. Matt Morgan, Rob Terry, Mason Ryan – All giant dudes that have made no progress in years and years and just cycle in and out. Given, it’s fun to see a guy the size of Ryan beat people up. In the short matches he’s had since returning, he looks a bit more consistent. I won’t poo-poo this run just yet, but they’ll need to give us something compelling for Mason Ryan.
Poor A-Ry. I wonder how much he misses being on Raw week after week. At least Riley got some offense in this squash. Conor O’Brian has a submission move now for some reason…that’s fine. O’Brian runs that risk of ending up another Mason Ryan/Matt Morgan/etc. At the least, he has a gimmick, but it’s very…Underworld.
I’m admittedly not a big fan of Graves, but damn that was a fun tag match. You reinforce that Bray Wyatt is the head of the Family, helping where needed, and not always physically. You have a now built-in rivalry for Graves and Ohno, as Ohno can point out that instead of staying focused on the ring, Graves threw himself out of it in poor judgment. Or, you can have them stick together as a tag team and deal with differences. Both are perfectly viable. Harper’s “Yeah yeah yeah” is catching on with the NXT crowd. No way to tell if that will carry on to the big shows, but it’s simple things like that that can get the crowd to chant along. Think about it – Daniel Bryan just said “Yes” and that has taken over the wrestling world like Austin’s “What?”.
The Preview:
Big E Langston defends against Bo Dallas. Big E is on the main roster now – I wonder what’ll happen…
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!
