Peter Kostka
From the NXT Arena at Full Sail University. Your commentators are Tom Phillips and Corey Graves.
This week: Nia Jax and Eva Marie face Asuka and Bayley and the #1 contendership is on the line as American Alpha face the Vaudevillains.
Highlights of last week’s show-long epic 2 out of 3 falls match between Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn leads to Zayn heading to the ring for a promo. He went to war with Joe last week, but he’s not ashamed of his performance last week because if one or two things went his way the result could have been very different. His goal is still to become the first two-time NXT champion, but it is eating at him that Takeover: Dallas is going to be a huge night and he won’t be fighting for the title at it. GM Regal appears on the ramp and agrees that Zayn deserves a big match on that night, against “the best in the world”. He says that in Dallas, Sami will face NXT’s newest signing…..Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura appears on the video wall as Full Sail goes nuts and Sami appears stunned in the ring. He says he will see Sami in Dallas where “Shinsuke Nakamura takes over”.
I’m not the biggest New Japan fan, but even I know how fucking major this is. Nakamura is a hell of a wrestler, but more than that he has charisma for days and just like that NXT has a potential match of the year on their card.
The Hype Bros vs. Angelo Dawkins and Kenneth Crawford
Pretty much a Hype Bros squash as Mojo gets most of the offense. They actually seem to be getting over with the crowd as there aren’t audible groans when their music hits anymore.
Highlights of NXT’s weekend in Ohio at the Arnold Classic.
Emma and Dana Brooke run into Deonna Purrazzo in the back and Emma tells her that what she does to Deonna tonight will be worse than what Asuka did to her. Deonna stands up for herself, but that just earns her a head pat.
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Emma (w/Dana Brooke)
Emma shoves her around to start and Deonna pushes back, but that just pisses Emma off and leads to methodically tearing her apart and finishing with the Emma Lock.
Highlights of the NXT Tag Team Title match at Roadblock where The Revival retained against Enzo and Cass in a tremendous match. This leads to another tease of the #1 contender tag team match tonight.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jesse Sorensen
Another squash, this time for Ciampa as he seems to be getting a bit more attention lately. Perhaps post-Dallas they may have bigger plans for him. He finishes Sorensen with his bridging armbar.
We go back to Bayley beating Carmella about a month ago and the post-match attack that led to this next tag match.
Nia Jax and Eva Marie vs. Bayley and Asuka
Corey Graves, national treasure, is in the middle of analyzing the match but pumps the brakes as soon as Eva Marie’s music hits, getting APPALLED every time Tom speaks.
#ShutUpTom.
Of course, when Asuka’s theme hits Corey realizes what is going to happen to his precious red flower and is inconsolable. Tom is quite looking forward to it.
Nia throws Bayley around and Eva tags in, but Bayley trips her up and tags Asuka. Eva (naturally) tries to flee for her life but Asuka stands in her path. The slaughter begins as Graves channels his inner Heenan (I wanted to hear him yell “THIS ISN’T FAIR TO RED HAIR!!”) and Asuka takes her down with a hip attack. Bayley tags in but Nia makes a blind tag of her own and drops Bayley with a Samoan drop. Eva comes back in to pick the carcass and in her hubris slaps Asuka which allows Bayley to hit a suplex. Nia comes in to break up the pin but legdrops Eva instead and the Bayley to Belly on Eva gets the pin. Not much to the match, but the commentary was a blast.
The faces celebrate until GM Regal comes out once again. He credits Bayley for being a great champion and Asuka for elevating the women’s division even higher before announcing that Asuka is the new #1 contender and will face Bayley in Dallas. Asuka gives her The Smile of Death as Bayley looks like anyone who was just told you are going to fight Asuka would.
We recap what happened to Austin Aries in his debut before we get an interview. Aries says Regal apologized for Baron Corbin’s actions, but he thinks people should be sorry for Corbin because he made a mistake. He’s dealt with guys like Corbin his whole life, guys that are big, bad and insecure. Aries has earned everything in his career and wasn’t handed a NXT contract because he was 6’6″ and 300 pounds. In Dallas, he’s going to hand Corbin a lesson from The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. In Dallas “It’s gonna be a great day to be great, but a bad day to be you.”
Next Week: Asuka faces Emma in a Takeover: London rematch. Hell yes.
American Alpha vs. The Vaudevillains (#1 Contenders Match for the NXT Tag Team Titles)
Gable and Gotch start and I renew my pleas to NXT management for a match between these two. Hell, just film a PC workout match and put it on YouTube, I don’t care. Gable controls and forces Gotch to tag, but English just gets more of the same and they dump both Vaudevillains as we take a break.
The Vaudevillains have control and Gable…well….plays the Gable for a bit. Gable makes the comeback and makes the Jordan Hot Tag. Predictably, he runs wild, suplexes are thrown and straps are pulled down but Gotch breaks up the Grand Amplitude. English tries a senton on Gable but it is avoided and Gable hits a rolling suplex out of the corner, but English makes himself so light that he almost gets suplexed right on his head. It’s the most impressive/scary as hell thing you are going to see all week. Gable dropkicks Gotch off the apron right into a belly to belly by Jordan on the floor but English catches a kick and turns it into a powerbomb for a close 2. Jordan tags as English makes a blind charge at the corner, but Gable moves and Jordan spears him, leading to Grand Amplitude to send MAH BOYS to Dallas.
American Alpha celebrate in the ring as we fade.
OVERALL: So, here’s the announced card for Dallas right now:
Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Title
Asuka vs. Bayley for the Women’s Title
American Alpha vs. The Revival for the Tag Titles
Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin
Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
I mean…holy shit! Five matches and I can see, if everything goes well, ALL FIVE being on my Top 10 list at the end of the year. I know it sounds like hyperbole, but if NXT is going to have their WrestleMania X-7, this show may be it. WrestleMania this year does have its highlights and I’m much more interested in the show than last year’s (which ended up being pretty good, by the way) and I am trying to reign in my expectations for Takeover, but the closer we get to the show, the harder that is getting.
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Until next week, #ShutUpTom.
