Voracious fans piled into
the UADC Gymnasium as NXT made its return to Tampa for the first time this year.
2014 was a stellar year for the brand but they promise this year will be even
better, and if tonight is any indication it may be. With much to prove heading
into the next special the superstars of NXT set out to settle scores and gain
valuable momentum.
Our opening bout saw Tony
Briggs taking on Ty Dillinger who made his way to the ring without any real
gimmick to speak of, in contrast to the several he has been trying out as of
late. Yet the “Canadian Superman” was on his game tonight using his experience
to overcome the size difference between him and the stocky powerhouse Briggs
who couldn’t quite get his footing against Dillinger. The match was cut short
with the emergence Kevin Owens ran into the ring to make an emphatic statement
by taking out both men with a pair of powerbombs. He took the mic and made sure
we knew on no uncertain terms that he was just getting started.
The night continued with
tag team action as The Mechanics took on Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins of
Shoot Nation. Using their size advantage in the early goings Shoot Nation
looked strong, but the team of Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder are just as wily as
they are tough and took out Fultons leg. Isolating him from his partner they
worked the leg while making frequent tags before Fulton finally made the hot
tag to Dawkins who came into the ring with a vengeance taking out anyone in his
path before he ran into a vicious clothesline from Dawson. He followed with a
tag then flapjacking Dawkins into Wilders knees for the pin. Once again The
Mechanics prove that they can consistently put on great matches, while Fulton
and Dawkins work really well together and are looking better every time.
Big Cass and Enzo are out
next to a huge pop. The overly charismatic Amore works the crowd like only he
can before introducing Carmella. She takes the mic and begins by mentioning how
she made quick work of “Old Blue Pants” Leva Bates, which prompts a decent
Bluepants chant from the Tampa crowd. She continued stating that she wasn’t
done there and was headed right to the top and the Womens title. Big Cass takes
the mic and goes on that this will be their year whether they’re doing their
thing there or on Monday Night Raw. Amore is great on the mic but Cass has gotten
really good in his own right. These guys never fail to get the crowd going.
Next up Solomon Crowe
takes on Kalisto. These men know each other well and it shows in the ring as
the two traded offense in the early stages of the match. Wisely Crowe grounded
the high flyer and slowed the pace, punishing his smaller opponent. However
keeping down the very durable Kalisto is never an easy task and the luchadore
mounted a comeback with a flurry of aerial moves and ending with a Salida Del
Sol for the win. It was a short but entertaining match, also interesting to see
Crowe as the aggressor rather than the underdog that he has been lately.
Our next match is not
only a triple threat but also a match that could steal the show on about any
card anywhere in the world, Finn Balor vs Hideo Itami vs Adrian Neville. The
bell rings and Neville immediately dispatches Hideo from the ring, leaving him
and his old competitor Balor in the ring. Almost immediately they tear into
each other and it’s non-stop from there with almost too many awesome spots to
call. Hideo is adapting well and looking more incredible with every match, once
again teasing the fans with not one, but two attempts at a GTS. Finn Balor, I’m
convinced is not only going to be “the man” in NXT, but in the WWE as well one
day despite size and dubious WWE booking. However, Adrian Neville was the
longest reigning NXT champion for a reason and is not one to be outdone,
finishing off Hideo with a perfectly executed 450 splash for the win.
We follow that with
womens wrestling action in the form of a fatal four way as Becky Lynch, Sasha
Banks, Bayley, and Charlotte faced off. It was another fast paced match as they
immediately broke off into teams with Charlotte and Bayley taking the fight to
Becky and Sasha. With the bad girls ejected from the ring the two turned on
each other with Charlotte almost immediately going to work on Bayleys injured
knee. Banks and Lynch made their way back into the ring and took control
working together until they inevitably began arguing over pinfalls. As
dissention fell upon team B.A.E. it became every women for themselves.
Charlotte landed Natural Selection on Lynch but Sasha took her opportunity and
tossed Charlotte out of the ring seizing the pinfall over Becky Lynch. Another
excellent match from four of the toughest ladies you’ll find on any roster.
Jason Jordan is out next
to take on Baron Corbin. Facing the Alpha of NXT is a daunting task but Jordan
didn’t back down and took the fight right to him. Jordan took the advantage
over Corbin, but when Corbin began to turn things around Bull Dempsey ran into
the ring and laid out Corbin. Dempsey climbed the turnbuckles to execute a
flying headbutt, but Corbin rolled out of the path of the wrecking ball. Corbin
then finished off Dempsey with an End Of Days. Both Baron Corbin and Bull
Dempsey continue to quiet naysayers at house shows, hopefully they can get lengthier
televised matches together soon and show the world as well. I’m glad to see the
battle isn’t over between these two monsters.
The action continues with
tag champions Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake taking on The Vaudevillains. Blake
and Murphy are exciting to watch and it’s with that flash and excitement that
they started off taking the early advantage. However it didn’t take long before
the gentleman bruisers took control of the match and slowed down the pace cutting
off Blake from his corner. Things looked bleak for the new champs until Blake
achieved enough separation to make the hot tag to Murphy who can be absolutely
explosive at times. He quickly cleaned house and ejected Gotch from the ring,
executing a running brainbuster on English accentuated by an impressive
frogsplash from Blake for the win. Tough booking for The Vaudevillians these
days, but I’m glad to see Blake and Murphy getting due recognition.
Our main event of the
evening was an NXT title match with champion Sami Zayn defending against Tyler
Breeze. The champ took control in the early going but Prince Pretty is not one
to be taken lightly and shows it whenever he main events. It was an exhausting
back and forth battle between the two that eventually saw Breeze take control.
Zayn began to mount a comeback and executed a trademark Blue Thunder Bomb into
a pin attempt. The two men made it to their feet and Zayn walked into a
beautiful superkick from Breeze. Then Kevin Owens once again stormed the ring
laying out Breeze and tossing him from the ring. He stood over Zayn, then
picked him up to begin his attack. Out of nowhere, Zayn grabbed Owens and launched
him into the turnbuckles with an exploder suplex. He looked to follow that with
a Helluva kick, which Owens dodged before making a retreat into the back.
It was another hot night
of action from NXT, but it looks like things are only going to get hotter in
the coming months.
Hello I'm going to an NXT house show at the same place. Does the wrestlers come up to you and give fives? Is there any meet and greets or them giving autographs? I would like to know because I want Owens and Zayn to sign this shirt. http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/wrestler-t-shirts-1/kevinsteen/i-carried-him-for-years.html Please Reply
ReplyDeleteThey do meet and greets at every house show for the first 100 people. They also do meet and greets at TV Tapings for fans with gold circle tickets.
DeleteHow many people fit in this place? Going to the NXT Tampa next month... How early do you think that you need to be there to get a good seat at GA?
ReplyDelete