Peter Kostka
This is NXT for August 3, 2016
(Or: Did anyone notice I took a week off?)
What I Missed Last Week:
– GM Regal set up the main event for NXT Takeover Brooklyn II: Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Samoa Joe for the NXT title. Joe, having apparently been stuck in traffic, arrived late in the show and was not happy he wasn’t consulted and the proper protocols weren’t followed, but Regal told him (in a nicer way) to fuck off. Then Nakamura looked at Joe through an imaginary telescope. Because Nakamura is awesome.
– Bayley feels she’s ready to take back her women’s title and asks Regal to set up the rematch with Asuka.
– Kota Ibushi ended Buddy Murphy in a match that was better than it had any right to be. This Murphy kid has potential. His former life partner Wesley….sorry….Beautiful Blake got his shit pushed in by Nakamura and didn’t look as good in doing so.
– No Way Jose cut an awesome promo as we saw the rare occurrence of a character getting dimensions added to them in real time.
There, all caught up.
From the NXT Arena at Full Sail University. Your commentators are Tom Phillips and RAW’s Corey Graves.
This week: Hideo Itami returns to NXT and Bobby Roode makes his debut.
Hideo Itami vs. Sean Maluta
Maluta competed in the Cruiserweight Classic, losing in the first round to Ibushi.
They pretty much blow off the injury angle from over a year ago by saying “well it might have been Kevin Owens but there’s no proof but whatever he’s back now.” Itami has a pretty gnarly scar on his shoulder from the surgery.
Maluta looked pretty good in his CWC match and he continues that here. Maluta gets some offense in but his kicks just piss Itami off and he runs wild, finishing with the running knee strike (since Bryan’s retired he can reclaim that finish) for the pin. Itami didn’t look all that different from what he was a year ago but a year ago he was kind of floating in NXT purgatory. Now that a lot of the people above him are gone, he has a chance to finally become a big part of the brand.
We recap the Authors of Pain taking American Alpha out a few weeks ago.
The Revival once again proclaim themselves the best tag team on the planet, but TM61 interrupt. They’ve been all around the planet challenging the best, so why not the Revival try them on for size. Dash tells them to take a number and get in the back of the line, but Ciampa and Gargano walk in, wanting some service because they seem to be next in said line. They think the Revival won’t give them a title shot because they are scared, but Dawson suddenly remembers they’ve already promised the fine Australian gents next to them an opportunity tonight and take their leave.
Mojo Rawley vs. Chris Atkins is just an excuse for Samoa Joe to run in and beat everybody up. Since Regal won’t offer the simple courtesy of letting Joe choose his opponents, Joe won’t offer the simple courtesy of not ruining his show. He promises to destroy Nakamura in Brooklyn, but Rawley jumps him and refs break up the fight, but Joe jumps him in return on the ramp and chokes Mojo out. He screams at the camera that this is what he’s going to do to Nakamura.
Bayley is asked about her strategy in a rematch against Asuka and Bayley thinks it’s time for her to adapt and become more mentally prepared. She’s been watching Asuka’s matches and her “every move” and feels she’s ready. Asuka walks into frame and says if Bayley thinks she is ready, she should come watch Asuka’s match tonight.
Bayley comes out for commentary for the next match.
Asuka vs. Aliyah
Asuka grabs a chair and sets it on the ramp, telling Bayley to come sit and get a closer look, but Bayley’s just fine with getting up and standing at ringside, thank you very much. Asuka then commences to beat the crap out of Aliyah, making sure Bayley gets a good look at all of it. She hits a hip attack to the spine and catches Aliyah coming off the top with a kick to the head, but pulls her up at 2 and keeps up the punishment to Bayley’s protests. She locks in the Asuka Lock for the tap and keeps it on after the bell, causing Bayley to come in and break it up. Asuka simply smugly holds her title in Bayley’s face before leaving. I LOVE how mental this feud has suddenly gotten as Bayley keeps talking about how next time will be different and she’s a different Bayley from Dallas, but Asuka just keeps whooping everybody’s ass like she’s been doing for almost a year and isn’t really buying what she’s selling. This match in Brooklyn should be even better than Dallas because it won’t have to follow a MOTY candidate this time.
An Ember Moon teaser says she’ll make her debut August 20th at Takeover.
Bobby Roode makes his NXT debut, but more importantly, BOBBY ROODE’S THEME makes its NXT debut. Just listen and enjoy as you read the rest of this recap.
Roode talks about going to Dallas and sitting front row at Takeover and the emotions it brought out in him. That convinced him that NXT was the perfect place for him. He thinks NXT has revolutionized the industry like no other company has, but to take it to the next level…that’s where he comes in. NXT and it’s fans need Bobby Roode to make it a global powerhouse. His face will be on billboards and TV commercials around the world and his presence will make NXT a much better place. He will bring in Presidents and executives from Fortune 500 companies instead of the riff-raff that fill the stands right now. He basically cuts a Ric Flair promo, bragging about his custom made suits and says that nobody will be as GLORIOUS as him. There will be a new NXT and it will be……GLORIOUS.
AMAZING promo as Roode pivoted from pandering babyface to asshole heel so smoothly the crowd couldn’t help but appreciate it.
Next week: The contract signing for the Bayley/Asuka rematch at Takeover Brooklyn II
TM61 vs. The Revival (non-title)
The Revival are their typical awesome heel selves, but TM61 answers back with stereo backdrops that have Dash and Dawson scurrying to the floor as we take a break.
The Revival works over Thorne’s shoulder for the heat but Thorne escapes to make the hot tag to Miller, who runs wild in a .4 Jordan and gets 2 off a rollup before hitting a spinebuster for another 2. Dash cuts off the tag and Miller gives chase around ringside, but when it heads back into the ring Dawson catches him with a DDT for the pin.
I wish I could say more about this match, but there still isn’t that much to TM61 and you already know how great The Revival are.
Dawson once again talks themselves up and Dash lists off all the teams they have beaten, but Gargano and Ciampa interrupt. They make some kinda good/bad comedy listing off teams The Revival have also beaten like Miss Piggy and Kermit and Pikachu and Charmander. Gargano says the only things he wants to collect are the NXT Tag Titles since the only team The Revival haven’t beat are them. Dawson isn’t impressed with “comedy hour” and says it’s time for the #TopGuys to take their leave but a brawl breaks out instead. Gargano and Ciampa get the best of the exchange and take Dawson out before laying Dash out with their running combo and count their own pin, holding the titles high as we fade. Phillips mentions that they will face each other in the Cruiserweight Classic and holy shit you guys need to watch that match. Easily the match of the tournament so far.
OVERALL: Highly entertaining episode as we have another match for Takeover announced with one more heavily teased as all the titles got some attention. Couple that with the welcome return of Itami and the AWESOME debut of Bobby Roode, this was a winner.
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