Hey, it’s WWE NXT! It’s not just for the up & coming, it’s for the down & coming back, too!
The show started with Hideo Itami coming to the ring for the opening match. He’s fighting Bull Dempsey, who I thought we’d seen the last of at the live special two weeks ago.
The match was short and not bad. Itami still needs a finisher – he won with a running dropkick, of all things – and Bull hasn’t looked much better than this of late. It’s still too late for him in this gimmick but you never know down the line.
After the match, Tyler Breeze attacked Itami and left him lying on the ramp. He used his selfie stick to take a picture of himself with Itami lying in the background, but by the time he was happy with it, Itami was on his feet.
Itami then chased Breeze into the ring and kicked him to the back. Good opening bit.
They advertised The Brian Kendrick would take on Finn Balor in the main event tonight. And then they showed a highlight video which did a great job for newer viewers of getting Kendrick over. Things are getting weird down at NXT.
Hey, it’s the Lucha Dragons! They’re no longer the champions since losing their NXT Tag Team titles to Blake & Murphy at Rival, and tonight they’re facing the “enhancement” team of Tye Dillinger & Jason Jordan.
As Dillinger & Jordan were coming to the ring, Solomon Crowe hacked the feed from his iPad and said that he is on a mission to become NXT champion, and that we should consider ourselves warned. Duly noted.
So, the Lucha Dragons and Dillinger & Jordan had a match, and it was okay. The story of the match was Dillinger getting beaten up and, when he had the chance, not tagging out to Jordan, telling him to “relax”. Jordan did NOT relax.
Then, when Dillinger needed to tag out, Jordan jumped off the apron and walked off, leaving Dillinger to fall prey to the SDS for a Lucha Dragons win.
Backstage, “Greg” interviewed Finn Balor, who said he can’t look to Kevin Owens until he gets past The Brian Kendrick.
After a break, Dillinger is still in the ring. He says he’s going nowhere until Jordan comes out to face him, and that he’ll fight whoever’s next if he has to.
Cue Baron Corbin’s music and a “oh, fuck, I’ve been here before” look on Dillinger’s face.
Corbin came out and pinned Dillinger in fifteen seconds with the End of Days. Aces. And that was the end of Dillinger’s protest.
Backstage, Devin Taylor asked Charlotte about her re-match next week for the NXT Women’s title. Charlotte said that Sasha Banks had never beaten her one-on-one, and that she would regain the title. She was not good on this promo…
Tyler Breeze cut a backstage selfie video, claiming that Itami fell into his trap. By beating him up, I guess. *Shrug*
They showed footage of Sami Zayn in Abu Dhabi on the main roster tour the other week. Some Arab guys welcomed him “home”. Jeez, they’re as bad as Irish-Americans…
Hey, it’s Bayley! Her whacky inflatable wavey arm pals welcomed her arrival for her match with Becky Lynch. Becky Lynch blamed Bayley for her not winning the NXT Women’s title the other week. Becky Lynch is crazy.
They had a decent, short match, and Becky won with an armbar. Kind of a surprise win, which kept Becky in the title hunt without damaging Bayley too much.
Backstage, Devin asked Rhyno was he was in NXT. He said he’d heard people talking about NXT, and watched from home, and recognised the fire he saw as the fire he once had, and felt he still had what it took. He said he’d get noticed by ripping NXT up with his Gore.
Jason Jordan was shown leaving the arena. He didn’t say much but promised we’d see him soon. Shoot Nation, anyone?
Hey, it’s our main event! It’s Finn Balor versus The Brian Kendrick, and NXT Champion Kevin Owens is sitting in on commentary.
Balor was on top early on, and Kendrick seemed to twist his ankle. This was a ruse to sucker Balor in, and Owens noted that Balor’s willingness to give Kendrick a break is why he will beat Balor.
Owens taunts Alex Riley, also on commentary, by saying he was never a champion. Riley notes that he never had a championship but he would also never hurt a friend like Owens did to Sami Zayn. Owens stared daggers through Riley, who turned away from him. Owens then said he’d better leave before he did something he’d regret.
Back in the ring, Kendrick came back and got a nearfall with a tiger suplex that looked like it SUCKED to take. Balor got the win, though, with a slingblade, drop kick into the corner, and Coup de Grace from the top rope that also looked like it sucked to take.
After the match, Owens appeared at the top of the ramp to glare at Balor. Then he walked over to the commentary booth and threw Riley to the floor. He calmly walked off as Riley’s fellow commentators called for a doctor…
This was a Good Show. It skipped along, filling its hour with compelling viewing from start to finish. But you already knew that, right?