Peter Kostka
From the NXT Arena at Full Sail University. Your commentators are Rich Brennan, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton.
We open by recapping the NXT title match last week between Apollo Crews and Finn Balor and the interference from Baron Corbin followed by Samoa Joe turning on Finn.
“The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger vs. Baron Corbin never takes place as Apollo Crews charges in and spears Corbin to the mat, beating him around ringside and sending Baron fleeing to the back. Great fire shown by Crews here and I’m already looking forward to this match.
Tonight: Samoa Joe explains his actions last week and the NXT Tag Titles are on the line as the Vaudevillains defend against Dash and Dawson.
Bayley & The Hype Bros vs. Blake, Murphy & Alexa Bliss
Corey’s groan of disgust as the Hype Bros’ music hits was very close to mine and the Full Sail crowd’s. Alexa wants Bayley right off the bat and goddamn this crowd loves Bayley. It’s justified as she is AWESOME in this match, screaming “YOU AIN’T HYPE” at Alexa before ramming her head into the turnbuckles. Alexa escapes the Bayley to Belly and scurries to her corner to tag out as we take a break.
The Bros are working over Blake as we return but Murphy provides a distraction and Blake yanks him off the top to take over control. Ryder plays Bro in Peril for a bit and Blake and Murphy are actually really good at wearing down the face to get the crowd to chant and cheer for the rally. Ryder reverses a whip and sends Blake hard into the corner to escape and makes the tag to Mojo who runs absolutely wild on the heels and it is actually pretty damn awesome in its own right. He hits a big front press slam on Murphy but Alexa flies in to break up the pin which brings Bayley in to take her out. Alexa steals the NXT Women’s title and takes off up the ramp. The ref holds Bayley back from going after her so she breaks up Blake and Murphy trying to cheat on a pin. Murphy yells at her, so Bayley PLANTS HIM INTO THE EARTH with a Bayley to Belly and goes after her title. That just might be one of the best NXT moments of the year. It’s almost an afterthought that the Hype Bros get the win with the Hype Ryder.
The Ascension cut a really goofy promo accepting Jordan and Gable’s challenge.
Nia Jax is walking backstage. She runs into Eva Marie and they decide to have a little chat.
Apollo Crews doesn’t care that Baron Corbin is upset at him and is going to break Baron once he gets a chance.
Deonna vs. Nia Jax
Nia seems to be getting there in both character and in-ring work as she decimates Deonna before DRILLING her with a uranage (it seems to be getting more violent looking by the week) before dropping a leg for the pin. I could get behind Jax being Eva’s muscle as long as Eva just stands at ringside the rest of her career. Graves tells us that Carmella will face Jax next week.
Bayley runs around backstage looking for Alexa and finds her taking photos with the belt. Alexa drops it and runs off, but Bayley runs into Nia Jax. Alexa jumps Bayley from behind and reaches for the title…but Nia grabs it first. Alexa sheepishly backs off before Nia admires the title and hands it back to Bayley.
Anyone else getting a REAL bad feeling where this is going?
Dash and Dawson vs. The Vaudevillains (C) (NXT Tag Team title match)
The Vaudevillains take the early part of the match as English outsmarts and wears down both heels. He fights them both off on the apron, but Dash takes his knee out with a chop block and the heels pounce as we take a break.
Dash and Dawson are systematically taking English’s knee apart as we return, doing what they are so great at. It’s like someone strapped them to chairs and made them watch like 90% of NWA tag matches from the years 1985-1989. Dawson hits a really nice slingshot suplex (getting some good snap off the ropes) for 2. Dash goes to wrap Aiden’s leg around the post, but English yanks him into it and finally makes the hot tag to Gotch. Gotch runs wild on the heels and tags in English presumably for the finish but even the commentators are questioning his decision. Dawson takes English’s knee out with another chop block and they mug Gotch on the outside, sending him into the steps before they hit the same top rope stomp they used to take out Cass’ knee and Dawson wraps him in an inverted figure four leaving English no choice but to tap and give us new champions. Dash and Dawson are so awesome because they truly are a TEAM; they work together to completely destroy their opponents with no remorse. They aren’t flashy because they don’t want to be. You kind of have to be a fan of that style to really enjoy their matches and I can see how some people would find them boring.
Dash and Dawson celebrate their victory in the back and note they didn’t have to change anything about who they are and what they do to achieve it.
Next week: NXT’s Greatest Tag Team vs. The Ascension and Bayley defends the NXT Women’s Title against Alexa Bliss.
Samoa Joe comes out for his explanation. He says we are defined by the choices we make and the actions we take to back them up. Finn asked him to be his partner in the Dusty Classic and he chose to accept, carrying Finn on his back all the way to the Dusty Cup. All he wanted was an NXT title shot in return. Finn said he would give him a shot, but didn’t act and step in when William Regal made the #1 contender’s battle royal. Samoa Joe is too good to waste his time on battle royals and was entitled to an NXT title shot the second he stepped into NXT. Finn Balor makes his way to the ring and a gaggle of referees try to keep them separate . Finn gives him a title shot off-mic and Joe seems to be set to leave, but he shoves one into Finn and pounces, choking him out with the Coquina Clutch and holding the title above him. Joe walks off as Finn comes to in the ring to end the show.
OVERALL: Another fun hour as we’re keeping the train to London rolling. It seems like the card is kind of starting to come into view with perhaps Enzo and Cass coming back for a tag title shot and Bayley facing either Nia Jax with Eva Marie in her corner or — dear God — Eva Marie with Nia Jax in her corner. The mixed tag was a pretty fun match and the tag title switch was nice old-school psychology.
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