The fans were strongly behind the Joshi grappler but that didn’t stop the delectable Aussie Emma from raining on our parade. The back-and-fourth match highlighted both women’s confidence to slow down the momentum, taking the action to the mat on numerous occasions with storytelling that put over Emma as credible threat in the women’s division. In fact I found myself doing something I never thought I’d do, admiring Dana Brooke’s charisma while at ring-side. The badass Barbie not only gained the suitable heat from the crowd, but used it to strengthen the surprising team that she and Emma have made success of late.
The heels didn’t stand chance however as the only instance of interference from Brooke saw her exiled backstage which opened the window for Asuka and a well placed spinning heel kick to the face for the win.
Highlight: Emma once again climbing through the ranks as a respect women’s wrestler after her team-up with Santino Marella on the main roster, killed any credibility she had. Welcome back Emma.
NXT Tag Team Champions Dash Dawson & Scott Wilder Vs Enzo Amore & Colin Cassidy w/Carmella
You can’t help but cheer for the quick-talking, hard-hitting combo which is Enzo & Cass. And no louder could you hear it then from inside the arena. The clear favourites coming into this match, surely it was their time to take the Tag Team gold home to Full Sail?
Dash & Dawson wouldn’t make it easy for the pair however as you can’t deny the chemistry that the Tag Team Champions have when they are on their game. Singling out Enzo, as so many teams choose to do, the scrawny motor-mouth took a hell of beating before tagging in the big-man who sought to clean house but was foiled by a well place chop-block to the rehabbed knee.
A few hot-tags build the crowd up into believing that team SAWFT could capture the gold but Dash and Wilder put an end to our dreams and retained the titles.
Baron Corbin Vs Apollo Crews
This match held no reverence from me, maybe unfairly so but I don’t feel as if NXT has given us enough to cheer for, and I wasn’t the only one to feel that way.
Ignore the boring chants, although justifiable so. Baron Corbin was no match for Apollo Crews in terms of pro-wrestling ability so it was farcical that he would win this match leaving a bad taste in my mouth when he did just that.
Given the matches that preceded this, no storytelling was on display or a chance given to show the ability that Crews has in his arsenal besides a few stand-out moments.
Highlight: Match was long enough for me to get a much needed beverage.
NXT Women’s Champion Bayley Vs Nia Jax
Like Daniel Bryan’s ‘Yes’ movement, Bayley has cornered the market on scrappy-underdog-wrestler within the NXT. To such success that unlike other wrestlers who win the gold only to find their momentum dwindle. Bayley’s mixture of infectious personality and in-ring ability has catapult her to main event status within the NXT landscape.
This match needed to tell a story that Bayley could take on different opponent. We’ve seen the huggster take down similar opposition in comparison to herself with the likes of The Boss Sasha Banks proving a worthy opponent at Takeover Brooklyn. Nia Jax however is a different animal entirely. The figurative brick wall that Bayley would have to smash through to retain her long sought-after title.
The women’s champ did not shy away from the task, taking her A-game and throwing it at the foreboding Jax who seemed hell-bent on breaking Bayley in two. Nia Jax proved impressive, rag-dolling the champ with numerous Samoan slams and leg-drops that legitimately seemed a threat to take the title home. But Bayley knew that her usual approach would not succeed in the this instance, never once using her famed Bayley-to-belly suplex finisher, no matter how hard the crowd chanted for it.
Instead the Champion retained via a hard fought tap out that levelled the giant Jax to the delight of not only the crowd but this reviewer.
Highlight: Bayley … nuff said.
NXT Champion Finn Balor Vs Samoa Joe
An outsider would assume that with Takeover in London, NXT Champion Finn Balor would be the crowd favourite for the win. However the room was decidedly split, with a large contention cheering for heelish brute Samoa Joe. With this mind, Balor wasn’t about to be out mind-gamed. Channeling a hometown demon Jack The Ripper, Balor would slick his way into the arena looking strong to retain the gold.
For the most part Samoa Joe dominated the champion early on with Balor getting in a few strikes here-and-there showing that if Joe wanted to take the demon down, it wouldn’t be an easy feat. It was only a matter of time until the action spilled onto the outside with Joe nearly decapitating Balor with a brutal STO. The demon would later retaliate however with a sweet high flying over-the-top-rope-senton taking Joe off his feet.
The match ebbed and flowed encapsulating the story in the ring with both men unrelenting in pursuit of the biggest prize in NXT, trading brutal blows to one another. Even an appearance from suplex city saw Joe gain the upper hand. A high flying Coup de Grace however saw Balor retain but winded with medics rushing to the ring to check on the champ.
Samoa Joe was helped to backstage area but would not take his eyes off Balor. I have a feeling this feud isn’t over.
Highlight: Both men showed how a match can be put both men over without ending in a DQ. Both Samoa Joe and Finn Balor looked strong at the end of the match as they did going in.
Overall my first live experience has me stoked for another taste. The crowd was buzzing as were the superstars in the ring. A bonus match from a returning Sami Zayn against the Perfect Ten Tye Dillinger topped off the night and showed once again that NXT is the future of the WWE.
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