It’s NXT time and we’re kicking off with everyone’s favourite smelly hippie, CJ Parker.
Match 1: CJ Parker vs Solomon Crowe
The crowd is solidly behind Crowe as they lock up, but Parker forces his heavily tanned opponent into the corner. Forearms by Parker but Crowe reverses and hits some clubbing blows in the corner, then a repeated face wash to the hippie, probably the first wash he has had in weeks.
Parker bails as the commentators talk up Crowe, followed by a nice bottom rope suicide dive onto Parker. Back in the ring Parker reverses a charge with a double boot and lays in some punches. Big stomp from Parker, followed by a senton. First chinlock of the night from Parker, and he holds onto it for a long ass time until Crowe finally reverses.
Punches to the head from Crowe but CJ hits a big clothesline that turns Solomon inside out, then follows it up with a scissors kick for a two count. Parker goes for a senton but Crowe gets his knees up, taking the hippie out. Crowe goes to the top rope and hits a diving splash to Parker’s knee!
Crowe locks in an overhead leg submission which is apparently called the Stretch Muffler and Parker taps out for the submission. ‘Stay tuned, because the real show is just beginning!’ Solomon Crowe, ladies and gentlemen.
Solid opener with Crowe displaying some innovative offence and Parker playing the heel everyone wants to see beaten.
Match 2: Baron Corbin vs Steve Cutler
Jobber doesn’t get an intro, but the commentators fill in the details that Cutler is a former US Marine. Irish whip into a clothesline and Corbin is in control, picking up Cutler and hitting the End of Days for a total squash.
Doesn’t really say much for the resilience of US Marines, does it?
Interview with Sami Zayn, where he talks about the target on his back. He’s ready for Rhyno’s challenge.
Match 3: Enzo Amore & Colin Cassidy vs Angelo Dawkins & Sawyer Fulton
How u doin? The realest guys in the room have the crowd on their side as the Sawyer Fulton starts out against Amore. Enzo keeps out of the bigger man’s way before taking him down with a drop toehold and dancing on his back, but takes too long posing and Fulton takes him down with a fireman’s carry.
Fulton drags Amore to the corner and tags in Dawkins, then the pair hit a team suplex on Amore. Tag to big Cass and he lays the smack down on Fulton. Enzo tags himself back in and goes to the top rope, but Fulton hits the ropes and the Certified G crashes to the mat.
Stomps from Fulton as tag champs Blake and Murphy make their way to the ring. Tag to Dawkins and a double team face slam on Amore as the champs chat to Carmella. They’ve both brought her roses, but back in the ring Fulton has Amore in an abdominal stretch. Enzo hits a chinbreaker and tags Cassidy, just as Fulton makes the tag to Dawkins.
Big Cass hits the ring like a man possessed and takes out Dawkins with a pair of shoulderblocks and a side slam, then hits Fulton with a big boot as he enters the ring to interfere. Fulton is out of commission as Cass hits his Black Hole Slam variation on Dawkins and tags in Enzo, who goes to the top rope and hits an assisted splash on Dawkins for the pin and the three count.
Solid match from Amore and Cassidy, but Dawkins and Fulton still look like jobbers.
Alex Riley promo. Rage rage rage.
Match 4: Dana Brooke vs Blue Pants
The debut of Dana Brooke, taking on the much loved underdog Blue Pants. Brooke’s entrance makes her look somewhat like a very athletic stripper. Blue Pants starts out with elbows and a running attack in the corner, but Dana drops her face first onto the turnbuckle.
Hair slam followed by a bottom rope guillotine from Brooke, followed by mounted punches for a pin and a two count. Blue Pants struggles to her feet and Dana chokes her over the middle rope, laying in a knee for good measure. Elbows in the corner from Brooke and then a nice handstand triangle choke.
Despite the awesomeness of the previous move, Blue Pants comes back with some big kicks to the head. On the third kick Dana reverses, picks Blue pants up on her shoulders and hits a sitdown slam, then covers for the one, two, three.
Not a bad introduction match for Dana Brooke, and Blue Pants continues to build a following as a plucky underdog.
Match 5: Rhyno vs Sami Zayn
Big response for Sami in his return to the ring, but he faces an angry man-beast in Rhyno. Sensibly, Zayn avoids the lockup to start, staying out of Rhyno’s reach until they finally lock up and Rhyno shoves Zayn down. Sami shakes it off and continues to circle Rhyno, looking for an opening.
Zayn locks in a headlock but Rhyno shoves him off and hits a shoulderblock. Sami rolls to the outside to collect his wits as the NXT crowd exchange chants. Springboard head scissors from Zayn and Rhyno rolls to the outside, then immediately rolls back in and lays the boots into Zayn in the corner.
Rhyno chokes Zayn over the middle rope, but Sami eventually reverses and hits a running dropkick. Big clothesline from Rhyno cuts off his momentum, and we go to a break.
Back to the action and Rhyno has Zayn in a rear chinlock, but Smai fights his way to his feet and slips out. Elbows in the corner and Rhyno is staggered, giving Zayn the chance to ascend the ropes. Springboard cross body from Zayn gets a two count.
Zayn lays in elbows and tries to evade Rhyno’s grasp, but the man-beast hits a big spinebuster for a two count. Elbows from Rhyno in the corner, followed by an Irish whip and hard bump from Zayn. Running shoulderblock in the corner from Rhyno, followed by a second, then a third. Cover, but Zayn kicks out at two.
Zayn is out on his feet, but then springs to life and starts laying into Rhyno like a man possessed! Blue thunder bomb from Zayn gets a long two count, and Sami can’t believe it despite the fact he has never won a match with the blue thunder bomb in his life. Shaking it off, Zayn goes to the top and hits a flying crossbody, but Rhyno catches him in mid-air!
Jumping neckbreaker from Rhyno gets two, followed by strikes in the corner. Rhyno makes the poor choice of getting up onto the second rope, and Zayn hits a jumping forearm sending him crashing to the outside. As Rhyno gets to hits feet Sami hits the tope con hilo, taking out Rhyno on the entrance ramp.
Sami rolls Rhyno back into the ring but the man-beast hits a front suplex, setting up the gore. Sami dodges it, hits the helluva kick and gets the pin and the three count!
Good match from the veterans, with Rhyno playing the dominant heel and Zayn the never-say-die underdog.
Another quality show from NXT.
