NXT Largo 8-21-14

Tonight the road to takeover made a stop in Largo as the stars of NXT brought hard hitting wrestling action as only they can to The Minnreg Hall. It was an evening of continued rivalries, some fresh starts, and returning faces.

The event got under way with tag team action as The Vaudevillians took on The Mechanics in what was a highlight match of the evening. It was a fun back and forth match that showcased well the abilities of all four men. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder are fast becoming one of my favorites, but on this night they were no match for NXTs manliest of tag teams. Aiden English took the win for his team with a beautifully executed senton from the second rope.

Next up I was surprised to see Solomon Crowe make his way to the ring to give a promo putting the NXT universe on notice. He made it known that he is prepared to fight his way to the top of NXT and prove that he is the best wrestler on the planet. I know I'm not the only wrestling fan that has been impatiently waiting for a Crowe push and television debut. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

The action resumed with womens tag action as Carmella and the returning Kendall Skye took on the team of Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss. It was good to see the naturally athletic Skye back in an NXT ring. I have yet to see too much of her yet, but from what I have seen her ceiling seems very high. Going forward a feud between her and Becky Lynch could be intriguing. Lynch being an extremely gifted athlete who I'm hoping ends up in the title picture sooner than later. The match ended in DQ and was awarded to Lynch and Bliss, as a double teaming Carmella and Skye failed to meet the referees five count.

A very dominating Baron Corbin continued his path of destruction decimating Steve Cutler. Cutler actually managed to get a little offense in this time, not that it was enough to even faze the big man.

Unfortunately for Cutler, it just made NXTs resident lone wolf even angrier.

Next up the realest guys in the room Enzo and Cassady took on those The Legionnaires. Furthering the story of their hair vs hair match at Takeover, Enzo came to the ring with a bucket of hair remover, much to the chagrin of the Frenchman that quickly fled the ring. The match got under way in a nice back and forth match. Lefort and Louis are absolutely great heels to the uber charismatic Cass and Enzo. Like the previous tag match, it ended in a DQ and was awarded to Cass and Enzo. The cheating Frenchmen commenced a post match beatdown on Cass when Enzo made the save with his trusty bucket chasing The Legionnaires around the ring, through the crowd and through the building.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night came when Kalisto teamed with Solomon Crowe, considering we've seen these two battle so many times in the past. They took on the team of Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake. Murphy and Blake are yet another in a long line of tag teams with strong potential but tonight the better team was the odd pairing of Crowe and Kalisto who were simply on fire. It's worth noting that Crowes ring gear has changed again and it seems as if they dropped the hacker gimmick altogether. I believe the gimmick had serious potential, but regardless of how they package the man I think he is has the wrestling ability and the natural charisma to be a major player in NXT.

Bayley took on womens champ Charlotte in a non-title match. These two ladies have gotten to know each other quite well and it shows. Will these two be able to produce an instant classic at Takeover? I think so. Sasha Banks made her way out causing enough of a distraction for Bayley to land a belly to Bayley suplex on Charlotte and gain a pinfall.

Mojo Rawley made fairly quick work of Sawyer Fulton. I'm just not sold on Rawley, a man that has all the athleticism to make it, but a very limited move-set. Fulton is a man in need of a gimmick who has apparently grown a mustache and raided David Lee Roths closet. I like Fulton and I'm hoping he finds a way to get over, but this isn't it.

The main event of the evening was a fatal four way featuring CJ Parker vs Tyler Breeze vs Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville. As expected the action was fast paced with great spots from all the competitors. Parker was a nice addition to the match and added an unexpected element forming an all but temporary alliance with Prince Pretty. The match reached a dizzying crescendo of action with all four men in the ring laying each other out. It was Zayn who was the last man standing hitting a helluva kick on Adrian Neville and getting the pin. Could this be a foreshadowing of things to come in just mere weeks at Takeover?