By John Moore
NXT TV on the WWE Network
Taped in February in Orlando, Florida at the University of Central Florida
This week’s WWE NXT intro video started off focusing on Bobby Roode highlights and led to Kassius Ohno setting his sights on the NXT Championship. The main event title match was hyped leading into the intro theme…
Tom Phillips introduced the viewers to NXT from the University of Central Florida. Nigel McGuiness and Percy Watson were also on commentary. Out first were the twins that got destroyed by the Authors of Pain last week, The Ealy Twins. They played an inset video where one twin said they are not the type of people who get jumped. The other twin said blood is thicker than what keeps the AoP together and he said they will soon be put on their backs. Their names are Gabriel and Uriel Ealy. The Authors came out next…
1. The Ealy Brothers vs. The Authors of Pain (w/Paul Ellering). The twins started by yelling to start the match. The twin that started was Gabriel, who took the Author to their corner where they isolated him. Percy noted how the twins were big dudes. Rezar gave one twin a big clothesline while headbutting the other one. Akam tagged in and they did a double Power Bomb (I think they missed the tap). The Authors hit the Final Chapter to pick up the victory.
The Authors of Pain defeated The Ealy Twins via pinfall in 1:23.
Paul Ellering grabbed a microphone. He said the Revival was the next name in the book of destruction. Ellering said the Revival claim to be the best tag team in the world. Ellering said he created the algorithm for greatness in tag team wrestling. Ellering said the Authors were a tag team of destiny soon to be a dynasty. #DIY’s entrance music hit as Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa walked to the ring to confront the Authors and Ellering. Ellering kept his team contained in the corner.
Ciampa mocked Ellering by talking in a deep voice. Ciampa said he doesn’t know what algorithm means. Gargano said he doesn’t know how to say the word too. Ciampa said what he does know is that if anyone are going to beat the authors, it was them. Ciampa said the Revival saved the authors by causing the disqualification. Gargano demanded a fair rematch for the titles. Scott Dawson came out with a mic and Dash Wilder. Wilder said the Revival was forced to watch the title match from the locker room. Wilder said there are three things you don’t do in sports: You don’t bench Tom Brady, You don’t pull Jordan in the 4th, and you don’t force the Revival to watch tag team wrestling from the sidelines. Dash Wilder said no matter what Ellering thinks they are the greatest tag team of all time.
William Regal came out to join the party. Regal said the dilemma is we have three deserving teams all fighting for the same thing. The crowd chanted triple threat. Regal obliged with them and put the twist by saying that Takeover: Orlando will have an elimination triple threat. Tom Philips hyped the main event of Bobby Roode vs. Kassius Ohno and mentioned how this champion will face Shinsuke Nakamura at Takeover: Orlando. They also hyped Nikki Cross in action… [C]
John’s Thoughts: Standard squash that didn’t do anything of note (it seemed they even botched their signature tap powerbomb). The story was the Triple Threat match. I have to say, I am looking forward to this match probably more than whoever Shinsuke Nakamura is facing at the moment, especially given how DIY and Reveal are involved.
During the commercial break, a quick and basic vignette played for the tag team known as Heavy Machinery. Tom Philips and Percy Watson ran through the NXT: Orlando card matches that were set so far which were the Tag Title and Women’s championship match. Tom cut to an Asuka video package.
Asuka was walking poolside where she said the moon never shines as bright as the sun. Asuka said she was the sun. They showed highlights of Asuka’s dominance with her also speaking in Japanese. They also showed the clip of Asuka saying she’s keeping the title forever. Asuka said there’s no women’s revolution, only Asuka. Asuka said the history of the NXT Women’s Title is the same as Asuka’s history. She said you should call it the Asuka title or Asuka Division. They then cut to some Ember moon clips. Asuka said Ember Moon’s fate would be just like the others. She ended the video still chillin’ at poolside in a spring dress…
John’s Thoughts: Nice little video package and I think it might have been Asuka’s best mic work to date. WWE really needs to find out how these sit-down interviews can be really helpful. They can also do a good job overcoming the language barrier with the power of editing and retakes. Asuka also has a natural charisma which shines as well.
Macey Estrella entered the ring sporting an old timey or fashion gimmick. Tom Philips pointed out how she was a former military police woman in the United States Marine Corp. Sanity’s theme played. Nikki Cross was flanked by Eric Young, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe. McGuinness said Macey probably needs the entire Marine Corps to handle this…
2. Macey Estrella vs. Nikki Cross (w/ Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, and Killian Dain). Nikki got angry at a jacket and the ring post. Nikki took it to the much larger Macey in the corner. Nikki hit Macey with a hair assisted facebuster. Macey tried to come back with a forearm but Macey ran back with a crossbody. Nikki hit the Paige Turner on Macey and sat up with a laugh. Nikki hit another while rolling to the corner to seek EY’s approval. Nikki hit the move three more times in a row. EY coached Nikki to hit another one to lead to the victory.
Nikki Cross defeated Macey Estella via pinfall in 2:29.
Suddenly Tye Dillinger and no Way Jose ran in to take on Sanity. Nikki Cross and Killian Dain gave Sanity the number’s advantage. Sanity forced Tye to watch Eric Young give No Way the Youngblood cutter. Dain gave Dillinger a running Senton. EY told Dillinger that the “Blood is in your hands…. Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!”. They went to commercial where that awesome Aleister Black/Tommy End vignette played… [C]
John’s Thoughts: That was a cool showcase squash for Cross which did its job in showcasing the crazy side of Nikki. That’s how you do a squash. I would love to see a Nikki Cross vs. Rosemary match for some reason if the stars will ever align. Eric Young also came off better and more crazy in his post-match attack. That said, this random filler feud still does nothing for the babyfaces other than give them something to do on the Takeover card
Tom Philips cut to clips of Ember Moon hitting the Eclipse on Peyton Royce and the injury that stemmed from it. Philips used this to hype the move. Andrea D’Marco was in the locker room to try to interview Billie Kay. She was interrupted by Andrade Cien Almas bullying Ho Ho Lun. Oney Lorcan stepped in to defend Ho Ho. They cut to an interview where Lorcan asked Almas to fight him in the ring. Philips and Watson hyped that Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, and No Way Jose were getting their trios match with Sanity next week…
Andrea D’Marco interviewed Kassius Ohno and asked him how he feels. Ohno said he had to put to rest the failure of his last run and it should be put to rest. Ohno said when he brings the championship to the back, we can talk about success and failure. Kassius Ohno came out to a pretty light reaction. D’Marco interviewed Roode who cut her off by saying that Kassius doesn’t deserve this match. Roode said he was going to prove to the entire world why this is Roode’s NXT. Roode made his entrance to a slightly louder reaction but still light for Roode/Glorious standards… [C]
John’s Thoughts: I’m not sure if they are not mic’d well or what but this is just like last week where UCF are acting very uncharacteristic of usual NXT crowds.
3. Bobby Roode vs. Kassius Ohno for the NXT Championship. Shinsuke Nakamura was shown watching the match backstage. Ohno wore a new Ohno tank top in the design of the Team USA basketball jersey. Drake Younger was the referee. Ohno started the match by going for several rollup variations. Roode retreated to ringside to sell frustration with Ohno and the fans. Roode went for a boot but it was caught. Ohno locked in a side headlock.
Roode escaped but got hit by a shoulder block. Roode was fooled by Ohno hitting the brakes on the run and hitting Roode with a boot. Roode turned the tide in the corner and hit chops on Roode. Ohno came back with a right hand. Ohno hit Roode with a backdrop to maintain momentum. Roode was clotheslined to the outside. [C]
Roode dominated back from the break with traditional methodical heel offense. Ohno was grounded with a shortarm clothesline. Roode went to the top rope and hit a flying elbow to get a nearfall. Ohno came back with a fatigued right hand and chop with the same energy. Roode kept Ohno grounded with a clothesline and knee drop. Roode locked in an extended resthold.
Ohno fought out with a jawbreaker. They kept cutting to Nakamura for some reason. Ohno kept from being tossed to the ground and hit Roode with a boot. Roode put a little more effort and managed to Irish Whip Ohno to the outside. They cut to Nakamura again and cut to commercial. [C]
Roode went for the Glorious DDT but Ohno came back with a release front suplex. They kept cutting to Nakamura again. Ohno mounted the striking offense. Ohno hit Roode with a basement dropkick followed up by a kip up. Ohno hit a corner elbow on Roode. Ohno hit Roode with the cyclone boot to lead to the nearfall. Ohno went for the running senton but Roode blocked it with the knees and hit the lungblower for a nearfall of his own. Ohno blocked Roode’s arm with his foot. Ohno went to the top rope and hit a flip stunner to pick up a two count.
Roode hit Ohno with his signature spinebuster to block the discus elbow. Roode showed more frustration after another failed pin attempt. Ohno blocked the Glorious DDT and hit a discus elbow to send Ohno outside. Philips and Nigel pointed out how smart this was to roll out. Ohno picked up a close nearfall after a running senton. Ohno went for a shortarm forearm but rolled around Ohno to hit the Glorious DDT for the win…
Bobby Roode defeated Kassius Ohno via pinfall in 14:50 to retain the NXT Championship.
Philips and McGuinness went over highlights from the match. Roode celebrated up the ramp as they cut to yet again, Nakamura watching NXT on TV…
John’s Thoughts: This was a good TV match but not quite a main event classic. Part of the problem there is they rushed to this match for some reason. Maybe it was to draw fans to the University of Central Florida, but I have to say they have been a pretty dismal crowd for television. I can’t blame Roode and Ohno because Nakamura vs. TJ Perkins was pay-per-view main event worthy and that crowd acted tame for it. It didn’t help that when the camera showed them they looked mildly to not interested. Crowd aside, the match did suffer from lack of build and because Ohno and Roode work WWE main event style (slow and methodical until the end), and they couldn’t make the match much more exciting. I’ll have more to say in my All Access NXT audio review on Thursday.
Feedback is always appreciated and feel free to contact me via twitter @liljohnm to tweet and discuss WWE NXT. You can also comment and discuss WWE directly with me via email: jmoore3.net@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment