It’s that time once again. Time to see what happened This Week on NXT! Bobby Roode vs Rodrick Strong is the main event on this episode. How did it all turn out? Let’s take a look.
The episode opened with the members of sanity lying motionless in the car park while the group of Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and Adam Cole walked away. William Regal came out to see the damage but was too late to deliver any immediate action. Yay for Sanity looking weak once again after they received a beat down? I get what NXT is doing, building up Adam Cole’s group as a dangerous and unpredictable, but to be able to sneak up on Sanity twice? just makes them a little stupid. This is Sanity! The unstable group of maniacs are being made to look stupid. Just seems odd.
MEANWHILE…
– Drew McIntyre came down to the NXT ring with his newly acquired championship. All of his work has now lead to this moment, His life’s work. He knew that this championship put a target on his head and decided to make a mission statement. He put everyone in the locker room on notice and asked if anyone wanted a chance to face him, then they need to come down and ask him for a fight.
Rodrick Strong came down to answer McIntyre’s challenge. Saying tonight he’s going to beat Bobby Roode and then challenge McIntyre for his NXT championship. McIntyre was pleased someone came down to face him like a man, now it’s just waiting to see if he can get knocked out like a man.
– William Regal confronted Lars Sullivan about his actions and was told that he’d face 3 men in a handicap match next week. Lars Sullivan smirked and left the room. Please never smile again, really doesn’t suit you, Lars. I have no idea who he’s going to face but I have strong feelings that it’ll be 3 more jobbers waiting to be squashed.
MATCH 1: Ruby Riot vs Peyton Royce w/ Billie Kay
The crowd was split on these two as they went to war. Ruby controlled Peyton through multiple holds, all until Peyton took to striking Ruby over and over, almost taking out her aggression on her. Peyton seemed to have an even greater offensive edge to her than usual. Whenever Ruby gained the advantage, you could tell Peyton was pissed and tried to rectify the situation.
Not even the distraction by Billie Kay was enough to give Peyton the win. Ruby seemed to have an answer for every move, you came at her with a wheel kick? She countered by picking you up and slamming you with a powerbomb. Think you can hide outside? Nope! She’s jumping out to get you! The tide certainly changed though as Billie Kay delivered a big boot to Ruby and Peyton hit her fisherman suplex.
That was one hell of a kick, but this was also a pretty good match. Ruby, Billie, and Peyton all performed their role perfectly and overall impressed with how the match went.
INTERVIEWS!
– William Regal was asked about the incident earlier with Sanity and Adam Cole’s goons, he was concerned with it but before he could proceed. Kassius Ohno came in looking for a match with Hideo Itami but this time, in a No DQ match. Regal agreed and now we have to wait till next week.
MATCH 2: Heavy Machinery vs Tavian Aweel & Edwin Negron
This match didn’t take long at all as Otis and Tucker ran right through the jobbers. All of it ending in a Compacter on both men and Heavy Machinery standing tall and remaining dominant. Whether these guys will get a chance at the title in the future, remains to be seen.
William Regal confronted Lars Sullivan about his actions and was told that he’d face 3 men in a handicap match next week. Lars Sullivan smirked and left the room. Please never smile again, really doesn’t suit you, Lars. I have no idea who he’s going to face but I have strong feelings that it’ll be 3 more jobbers waiting to be squashed.
MATCH 3: Rodrick Strong vs Bobby Roode
This is it, Strong’s final chance to end the rivalry with Bobby Roode on his terms. We already know the outcome but damn was it satisfying to see this story arc come to a fitting conclusion. Bobby mocked once again by calling Rodrick a failure, saying this is still his NXT. Just before he could do his glorious taunt, Strong shoved Roode to the floor, showing that we are well and truly ready for this all to be settled in the ring right now.
Whatever Roode tried to do, Strong responded by hitting harder, driven by emotion. Roode started to get some offence of his own and attacked the back of Strong. His cockiness still driving him, despite his loss of the championship. Back and forth the momentum shifted, Though both men continued and pushed each other to their limits. No matter how hard they tried, both of them refused to be pinned.
Not even a Glorious DDT could keep Strong down as he just managed to get to the rope before the 3 count. To end it all Rodrick Strong hit the Hard Take, but before he finished, he blew one last kiss to Roode and then hit one last Hard Take for the win.
One of the best Storylines that the WWE have produced this year and I will fight anyone that tells me otherwise. Strong Vs Roode was the perfect ending and now we can all walk away knowing that we have the resolution we’ve been hoping for.
We finished the episode with McIntyre standing on the ramp congratulating Strong on his victory. But, Adam Cole and Co. attacked McIntyre from behind and even took down security for good measure. They escaped capture once again and ran out the building. Adam Cole vs Drew McIntyre vs Rodrick Strong possibly on the table? I’m not going to lie, that sounds like a positively good idea. If, that’s the direction NXT decides to go.
