NXT Live Event
Indianapolis, Indiana
Report by Dot Net reader Kyle Garner
This event was the first time NXT has came to Indy and the arena and setup were fantastic! The venue was a lot bigger than I expected for being a mostly small concert venue. Before the event started, the ring announcer stated that because of Finn Balor being injured the night before, he would be unable to compete in the main event tonight.
1. Asuka beat Emma. Asuka was out first to a very loud ovation from the crowd. Emma also got a very good reaction and I would say that we were split between the two ladies. It was a great back and forth match with a lot of strikes and kicks from Asuka and a lot of submissions locks from Emma. Emma played the heel well during the match but her taunting failed when Asuka locked in the Asuka Lock for the win.
2. Blake and Murphy beat Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Blake and Murphy came out without Alexa Bliss. “Johnny Wrestling” was WAY over with the crowd and ate up all the moves he did. When Ciampa was in the ring, every time he got the tag, the place went nuts. A lot of “You look stupid” chants towards Blake throughout. There were a lot of double teams moves from both sides, but Blake and Murphy ended up scoring the pin.
3. Bayley defeated Alexa Bliss to retain the NXT Women’s Championship. OMG! Bayley is one of the most over wrestlers, not just women, around. She got one of the biggest pops that I have ever heard from a live perspective. She made sure that she went around to everyone and hugged, took selfies, and high-fived everyone around the ramp and at ringside. When the match started, everyone wanted to become a part of the show and Bayley made sure that they were. She kept going ringside and giving away her headbands and arm bracelet, which aggravated Alexa. When the match really started Alexa surprised me. She really hung in there and put on a good performance. Bayley broke out a Mexican Surfboard to my enjoyment. Bliss got some good offense in, but Bayley eventually hit the Bayley to Belly for the pin.
After the match, a cool moment happened. Bayley got the mic and said that it was great to be here but it was bittersweet. She stated that there was someone in the back that was really upset that he wasn’t able to compete and she called to the back to have Finn Balor come out. Finn came out on crutches and a heavy wrap around his ankle and foot. Finn struggled to get in the ring and Bayley had to help him. She gave him the mic and he was very emotional and apologized for not being there to entertain the fans. But Bayley said she can think of one thing that could make him feel better. She whispered it in his ear and she then left the ring. Finn seemed pretty excited to see what was going to happen. The lights went out and Finn’s music played in the arena. Bayley came out with Finn’s Balor Club jacket and did his entrance where he unbuttons the jacket and reveals the title. She then got to the apron of the ring and did his complete entrance, with the arms and everything. Finn was all smiles and she gave him a hug. She accidentally knocked him over and rushed over and apologized. He laughed it off and they were both rolling around in the ring enjoying themselves before hugging again and leaving the ring. Very cool and awesome moment!
Intermission
4. Dash and Dawson beat Jason Jordan and Chad Gable in a best of three falls match to retain the NXT Tag Titles. American Alpha was MASSIVELY over with the crowd, especially Jason Jordan. For those that don’t know, Jordan wrestled for Indiana University so it was kind of like a homecoming. Lots of chants for JJ and Gable, to which they both soaked in and gave their approval. Both teams worked well together and the match was excellent. The first fall went to American Alpha when Gable got the pin on Dash. The second fall went to Dash and Dawson. The final fall was very competitive with a lot of close near falls for American Alpha. A couple times I actually thought that they would win but in the end Dash had a rolling pin for the win. After the match, there was a long standing ovation for JJ and Gable.
5. Nia Jax over Billie Kay. With the crowd still recovering from the previous match, these women both gave out good effort. Nia was her usual powerful self with a lot of shoulder blocks and elbows in the corner. The match was about Billie Kay trying to get Nia off her feet, which she eventually did. She then had Nia in a reverse sleeper but Nia threw her off and dropped a big leg drop for the win.
6. Sami Zayn beat Baron Corbin and Samoa Joe in a Triple Threat. It was originally going to be Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn, then Baron Corbin vs. Balor in the main event, so this match was used instead because of Finn’s injury. Massive heat for Baron Corbin throughout the match. Joe got a good response from the crowd, and Sami had the crowd fully behind him. The whole crowd loved him and popped majorly for all his moves. Baron started out letting Joe and Sami fight inside the ring while he paced ringside. Joe eventually got out of the ring and forced Baron back in. Joe then pulled a chair up and sat down and watched the match from ringside for a couple minutes. When all three were in the ring though, there was a whole lot to digest and I loved every second of it. Joe rammed Sami into the steel steps a couple times. Corbin and Joe were going at it for a few before Sami did his flipping dive outside the ring onto both Joe and Corbin which drew a major response. Eventually, Sami hit a double Helluva Kick on both Corbin and Joe in the corner and got the win.
After the match was over, Sami took the mic and was very grateful for the support from the fans in attendance. He said that he has been all around the world wrestling and that what he is doing right now is the most fun he has had in his entire career. He then mentioned Balor and said that he wished he could have competed but then said that with all respect to Balor, NXT was not about Finn. He then mentioned a lot of NXT wrestlers and said NXT is not about them either. He then stated that We are NXT to send the crowd home happy.
Biggest Pops
1. Bayley
2. Zayn
3. Balor
4. American Alpha
5. “Johnny Wrestling”
Most Heat
1. Corbin
2. Dash and Dawson
3. Blake and Murphy
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