WWE NXT 08/12/15 Review
Welcome one and all to your new home on the same site for all your NXT reviews, the K-Tank NXT Spotlight. John Canton being the busy man that he is providing us all endless moments of entertainment, bequeathed the show to me and I couldn’t be happier about it. Now that Lucha Underground is off the air, NXT claims its rightful spot as the best hour of wrestling on television. Although I won’t argue you if you say it’s ROH or New Japan. I will argue you if you say it’s TNA, which is two hours, but you get the point.
We’re actually two weeks behind on NXT reviews, so let me give you a quick recap on what happened in the episode that aired August 5th.
-Bayley defeated Charlotte. In Bayley’s quest to feel she’s earned an NXT Women’s Title Match, she wanted to go against the very best and had a tremendous match with Charlotte here. It took a top rope Bayley to Bayley suplex to finally put Charlotte away. No handshake at the end, but mutual respect all around.
-Baron Corbin defeated Steve Cutler. The match lasted shorter than it took to write this sentence.
-Tyler Breeze defeated Aaron Solow. Ditto. This is where it was announced after the match that Breeze would be facing Jushin Thunder Liger at Takeover:Brooklyn.
-The Hype Bros. defeated The Mechanics Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder. Good basic tag formula match. I’m a big fan of both teams. Could be a nice rivalry brewing as after The Hype Bros won, The Mechanics came back and took out both members, including hitting Ryder with the Shatter Machine.
-Samoa Joe defeated Rhyno. They hyped this match up pretty good, but I felt it fell flat. They weren’t given much time, and it just felt slow.
So that leads us to this week’s show where the NXT Champion Finn Balor will be in action and we’ve got a #1 Contender’s Match for the NXT Women’s Title, Bayley taking on Becky Lynch. Let’s get to it!
There Will Be Ladders
The show opens with commissioner William Regal being interviewed about Kevin Owens’ feeling that he can’t trust Regal to provide a fair ref for his title match against Finn Balor and thus he wants a Ladder Match for the NXT Title at Takeover. Regal says he doesn’t want to just cave into Owens’ demands, but Balor has said he will face Owens in any type of match, so the NXT Title Match at Takeover: Brooklyn is officially a Ladder Match.
The Perfect 10 Debut: Salomon Crowe vs. Tye Dillinger
This is the first appearance on TV of Dillinger’s Perfect 10 gimmick, which has been a huge hit on the NXT Live Event shows. The fans at Full Sail are clearly behind it too as they chant “10” along with him. Both guys feel each other out early in the match, and then Dillinger escapes a headlock, does a cartwheel and gives himself a 10. That was funny. Crowe does a back somersault and ends up with his legs around Dillinger’s neck and then kicks him right in the head. Innovative move right there. Dillinger gets the advantage and locks in a one arm headlock, and then as he throws Crowe to the mat, he pulls down one of his kneepads to set up for something. Crowe fights back before we see what that is though. Crowe hits an Ace Crusher variation and then grabs Dillinger by the leg, but he gets kicked to the outside. When he gets back in the ring, Dillinger grabs him by the head and hits him with a Codebreaker type finisher and gets the win! Dillinger pulls Crowe’s temple right down onto his in a codebreaker style bump. It’s a good looking move.
Winner: Tye Dillinger
They show a video package hyping up Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker at SummerSlam.
Getting Hyped
We get an exclusive video earlier in the day where Mojo Rawley meets up with his partner Zack Ryder. Mojo wants to know where Zack has been, he’s been blowing him up all night. Zack tells him to stop calling him at 3:30 in the morning, he’s sleeping like a normal person. Zack asks why Mojo is dressed in his gear and Mojo says he stays ready all the time. He tells Ryder he was with 10 chicks in the club and Zack was nowhere to be seen. Zack highly doubts that as he walks away.
Baron Corbin vs. Axel Tischer
The crowd immediately starts chanting “Boring” at Baron as he rams Axel into the corner and then pulls him in for the End of Days, that’s your match.
Winner: Baron Corbin
The Lone Wolf Wants Competition
Post match, Baron grabs a mic and says every time he comes to the ring, he dominates. He’s the real deal. Nobody gets up from the End of Days. Baron goes to attack Axel again, but Steve Cutler comes out, only to eat an End of Days himself. Baron again says no one gets up from the End of Days, no matter who you are. Cue Samoa Joe’s much improved music! Joe gets in the ring and says he’s impressed with Baron. Joe says Baron’s been looking for competition, and even though Joe is impressed, he guarantees he won’t be doing that to Joe. Baron says he can do it to anyone, including Joe. Joe dares him to do it to him right now. Baron says he just fought two guys, so they can do this, but not right now. Baron goes to leave, but pushes Joe out of the way and they come to blows. Baron gets the advantage at first, but when he goes to the End of Days, Joe turns it into the Kokina Clutch and Baron’s lights are being turned off. Baron is choked out as Joe stands tall over him.
The Stone Cold 2K16 commercial is shown.
We get the latest in the “Bull Fit” vignettes with Bull Dempsey getting into shape. It ends with “Iron Sharpens Iron”.
We get a preview for Tyler Breeze vs. Jushin Thunder Liger. Breeze has a video he recorded regarding the announcement. Breeze says he requested something monumental and Regal didn’t disappoint by bringing in Liger. Regal tried this with Hideo Itami and Breeze disposed of him too. Breeze says he’s now the face of The Rising Sun.
A Champion’s Tune-Up: Marcus Louis vs. Finn Balor
Louis is doing the modern day Kane gimmick when Kane lost his mask for the first time, except Louis lost all his hair and then lost his mind. Balor controls the match early with a headlock, but Louis gets him into the corner and then drops the champ with a Urinagi. Louis then gets him on the mat and has a clutch with both hands under the jaw of Balor. Louis sends Balor to the corner, but Balor reverses it and hits a couple chops and then comes out of the corner with a Sling Blade. Balor sets him up for the Shotgun Dropkick, and that leads to the Coup De Grace, and just like that, it’s over.
Winner: Finn Balor
After the match, Balor celebrates in the ring with his title, and when he gets out and walks back up the ramp with the title, Kevin Owens comes from behind and lays out Balor. He goes for the Apron Powerbomb, but Balor escapes and then ends up giving Owens the Shotgun Dropkick into the guardrail. They end up in the ring and Balor goes for another Shotgun Dropkick but Owens catches him in the Pop Up Powerbomb. He didn’t hit it cleanly, but it was effective. Owens grabs the NXT Title and mocks Balor with his post before dumping the title on his chest and then stepping on and over him.
The Challengers Have a Plan
Backstage with The Vaudevillians and Greg Hamilton says they’ve had problems with Blake and Murphy, but also Alexa Bliss. Do they have a plan for her? Aiden English says they definitely have a plan for her. Simon Gotch goes to explain their plan now that Bliss will be contained, but Alexa shows up and feigns flattery that they’re worried about her. She then slaps them both in the face and walks away.
We get a hype video for Apollo “Don’t Call Me Terry Creed” Crews. The name really isn’t that bad. Apollo is of course the former Uhaa Nation. He’s debuting at Takeover:Brooklyn. He will be a great addition to the roster for sure.
“We Like It Loud” by Sleeping with Sirens is the Takeover: Brooklyn theme. We then get a rundown for the card.
-Apollo Crews debut
-Tyler Breeze vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
-Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin
-NXT Tag Team Title Match: Blake & Murphy (c) vs. The Vaudevillians
-NXT Title Ladder Match: Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens
-NXT Women’s Title Match: Sasha Banks (c) vs. ??
That is a really good card for what will be the biggest show, crowd wise, in NXT history. I thought it’d be a given that Enzo/Cass and/or Hype Bros would get a match on the card since the crowd will obviously be in their favor, but it appears they’ll be on the one TV episode they’ll be taping before or after Takeover is over.
#1 Contenders Match: Bayley vs. Becky Lynch
The Champ Sasha Banks joins the announcers at their table for commentary. The match starts with 14 minutes left in the show, so to no one’s surprise, this match is getting a good amount of time. Bayley starts out with a wristlock that Becky reverses. Bayley trips Becky and goes for a quick pin that gets a one count. Both women trade reversals, but then Bayley snapmares Becky and then puts in elbow right in the middle of Becky’s back. They trade moves and pins ones ace, but Becky then hooks an armbar. Bayley gets to the second rope and hits a nice armdrag. Then she hits a hair pull bulldog that gets a two count. She drops a big elbow and gets a two count again. Becky then hits a suplex and gets a two count of herself. Becky gets Bayley into the corner and starts working over the arm. Bayley fights out of the corner, but ends up in an odd submission where Becky uses both of her feet to trap Bayley’s arm and elbow. Becky stays on the arm after another pin attempt. Becky using some really creative offense to keep attacking the arm.
Bayley finally fights out of the arm locks and sends Becky to the mat a couple times, but then Bayley gets caught with a jumping kick in the corner. Becky goes for a pumphandle slam, but Bayley turns it into a quick pin, but only a two count. Bayley goes for a couple more quick pin attempts, but can’t keep Becky down. Becky now hits the Pumphandle Slam, but only a two count. Becky then hits her succession of quick legdrops, but Bayley moves after the 3rd on and gets back on the advantage. She nails Becky in the corner and then comes off the second rope with a back elbow, but only gets a two count. Both women get dueling chants as they try to regroup. Becky ends up on the apron, but kicks Bayley away and then Becky goes to the top rope. Bayley cuts her off though. She then grabs Becky in a powerslam from off the ropes, but just another two count. Bayley goes for another powerslam, but she ends up in the Disarmer submission by Becky. Bayley manages to get to the ropes quick. Becky picks up Bayley and goes for another slam, but Bayley hits a suplex counter instead. The crowd chants “This is Wrestling”. Bayley goes for the Bayley to Bayley, but Becky grabs the arm again, but Bayley then uses that to her advantage and gets Becky into the ROLLUP OF DEATH and 1-2-3! New #1 Contender!
Winner: Bayley
Post match, Bayley and Sasha Banks stare down each other as the show comes to an end.
K-Tank’s Final Take
-Tye Dillinger’s “Perfect 10” seems like a fun gimmick, and he can go heel or face with it. It will be fun to see if he starts coming out during other matches and giving them rankings, which is how it started in the live event circuit. Crowe has fallen short to me thus far. I almost feel his character is more suited for a heel. I know his debut was uninspired and I wonder if that means management has soured on him.
-I would assume The Hype Bros in line for the next Tag Team push as they’ve just gotten a new shirt on Shopzone along with the random vignette this week and the fact they’re undefeated so far. We’ll see though.
-Big fan of the Joe/Corbin storyline. Corbin has needed something to really sink his teeth into for a while now. Joe obviously was left with nothing with his angle with Owens seemingly going nowhere. They should have a real hard hitting match at Takeover.
-Owens/Balor in a Ladder Match should be nothing short of spectacular. They’re projecting 13,000+ for that show at the Barclays Center, which is unbelievable. They will deliver.
-I thought Bayley had a better match with Charlotte last week, but a very good showing with Becky Lynch, and I have no doubt that her and Sasha Banks will be given plenty of time to showcase their talents and have one hell of a match.
-I’ll be back next week with our last show before Takeover:Brooklyn, so until then, don’t call Zack Ryder at 3:30 in the morning.