NXT Largo 5-8-15

Written by Wayne Mason

Photos by Maryann Mason

NXT Wrestling returned to The Minnreg Hall in Largo for another night of action as only they can deliver. Boisterous fans piled in to see their favorite athletes gain valuable momentum as they head closer to NXT Takeover: Unstoppable.

Big Cass comes to the ring to a huge pop accompanied by Enzo Amore. His opponent for the evening is the drifter Elias Sampson. The match begins evenly as control of the match goes back and forth until Sampson takes the big man down with an explosive knee strike to the face. At this point Sampson keeps Cass grounded, wearing him down and working the arm. Further into the match Cass dodges an elbow drop and mounts a comeback. He lands a big splash onto Sampson in the corner and follows with a big boot. He then finishes off Sampson with a swinging side slam for the victory. We’re used to seeing Cass in tag team action usually coming in off a hot tag, so it was great to see him playing a different role. Elias Sampson certainly continues to impress, win or lose.

Next out is Steve Cutler to take on his opponent Marcus Louis. Sadly it seems we’ve seen the last of the tortured and crazy Marcus, as he was decked out in black pants, black shirt, black gloves and sunglasses. He looked like a hitman, though I am not really sure what they are going for. Cutler starts off strong, but soon the arm locks and headlocks evolve into brawling and that is where Louis takes over. Marcus slows down the pace and appears to be as methodical and sadistic as ever as he enjoys taking apart Cutler. At one point he seemingly Rock Bottoms Cutler through the mat but somehow Cutler kicks out and fights back. His comeback is short lived though and Louis finishes him off with a pumphandle slam for the win. Marcus Louis has a lot of untapped potential, hopefully he can find a gimmick that connects with the fans.

NXT announcer Greg Hamilton is out next to introduce Uhaa Nation who comes to the ring with a nice pop from the crowd. Hamilton asks him why was he here in NXT, and Uhaa lets us know bluntly to be champ. He continues that everyone knows the toughest talent in the world is right here. He concludes the interview by saying that when he is done everyone will realize that the future isn’t now, but rather “The future is me!”

We continue with tag team action as Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder take on The Vaudevillians. In the opening moments Wilder taunts Gotch by performing some manly squats of his own. Gotch responds by stretching his leg to his head. Wilder tries to do the same and hilariously fails, even with Dawson trying to help him. Soon after the wrestling begins and The Vaudevillians are on fire keeping one step ahead of their opponents. Gotch and English go on to perform a lot of their signature antics much to the delight of the crowd, including the addition of an old school Airplane spin from English. Eventually the crafty team of Dawson and Wilder take charge and begin to dismantle English and this is where they are so dangerous and so fun to watch. The two are proclaimed roughnecks but are just as comfortable grappling as they are brawling. However, English eventually makes the hot tag to Gotch who comes in and begins to clear the ring. Gotch appears be about to finish it when in the melee Dawson makes a blind tag to Wilder. Dawson flapjacks Gotch into a waiting gutbuster from Wilder for the win. This was a really entertaining tag match that all men came out of looking great. Fans of the house show circuit have long been aware of how good of a tag team Dawson and Wilder really are, but soon television fans will see as well. Ty Dillinger comes out and scores the match a 4.

Next is women’s action as Becky Lynch once again collides with the champion Sasha Banks. In the opening moments Lynch tries to end it quickly by attempting to lock on an arm bar but Banks wisely evades. Lynch leads the match tossing the champ around with a series of beautiful arm drags. Banks turns things around and slows the pace as she begins targeting the arm of Lynch. Lynch dodges out of the corner avoiding Banks and firing back first targeting the champs arm and eventually locking on her armbar submission, but Banks grabs the ropes. Moments later Banks draws Becky into the corner slamming her into the turnbuckle. Banks capitalizes propping her feet on the ropes for a leverage pin. I’ve seen these ladies in the ring now several times over the past few weeks and they not only put on an excellent performance every time, but they switch up a lot of offense as well giving us different matches every time. I’ve already made the prediction before but I’ll say it again, they will steal the show at Takeover. One could even make the argument (and I have) that they should be main eventing Takeover.

Solomon Crowe is next taking on Baron Corbin. Unintimidated Crowe takes the fight right to Corbin but Corbin swats him off. Tenaciously Crowe is right back on him again but Corbin counters with a punch that turns Crowe inside out and makes the crowd cringe. He slams Crowe first onto the mat and then into the turnbuckle with velocity. Crowe makes a comeback and contorts Corbin into an octopus hold, but Corbin powers out. Later, Crowe mounts a final comeback laying out Corbin with a swinging tornado DDT. He follows diving off the ropes but Corbin catches him in an End Of Days for the win. Ty Dillinger comes out and only gives the match a 2. I’d give it higher though, this was a great smashmouth match. Solomon Crowe has long been one of the most exciting guys on the roster, but Baron Corbin came out tonight looking absolutely brutal and mean, and probably the best I’ve seen him.

Two of NXT’s newest additions KC Cassidy and Jessie McKay introduce themselves and inform us that not only are they the best divas in the world, but they are also best friends. Bayley and Carmella, or “Baymella” come out taking exception with the statements of the new girls. A referee is called out and a tag match is set. Bayley and Carmella start off strong, with Bayley hitting a lot of her signature spots, but eventually Cassidy and McKay take over making frequent tags and methodically taking apart Bayley. Eventually Bayley makes a hot tag to Carmella, and moments later she executes an STO transitioned into her headscissors submission giving Cassidy no choice but to tap. This was a really fun match. Bayley and Carmella always have a great chemistry together whether teaming or facing off. McKay and Cassidy both comes to NXT ring ready and with plenty of experience, the two are a welcome addition to the NXT women’s roster.

Tag team action continues with Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton taking on the team of Bull Dempsey and Tucker Knight. Both teams start out strong with plenty of back and forth action. Slowly the advantage shifts to Dawkins and Fulton who look impressive manhandling a team as immense as Knight and Dempsey, including an impressive deadlift suplex from Fulton to Knight. Eventually Dempsey and Knight took over dominating Fulton until he makes a hot tag to Dawkins who comes in a clears the ring. In the final moments Fulton gives Dempsey a backbreaker and Dawkins follows with a spear for the victory. Apparently, even with the Shoot Nation concept gone, the teaming of Dawkins and Fulton is the best thing that could have happened to their career and they have gelled well as a team. Dempsey and Knight actually make a pretty imposing team that I wouldn’t mind going forward. Unfortunately though whether it is in singles or tag action it seems as if Bull Dempsey can’t catch a break. I still think he has a lot of potential as a face.

Ty Dillinger is out next for our main event and lets us know that simply he by himself is a perfect 10 main event, but he would fight while he’s out here if someone answered his open challenge. He was about to leave when music hit and NXT champion Kevin Owens emerged. In the opening moments after each successful maneuver Dillinger would cartwheel to the corner and score himself a perfect 10. After Dillinger does this a second time Owens answers by knocking Dillinger out of his boots with a picture perfect dropkick. Dillinger retreats to the outside but Owens follows him out pummeling him with multiple chops to the chest. Dillinger manages to launch Owens into the steps and escapes back to the ring. Owens beats the count back in and Ty attacks. Later, Owens comes back squashing Dillinger with a senton and attempts to follow with a cannonball, but Dillinger evades it and answers with a superkick. Moments later Owens climbs the ropes but Dillinger follows him and attempts a superplex but Owens counters sending Dillinger to the mat. He follows with a beautiful senton bomb. The two make it back to their feet and Dillinger delivers another jaw shattering superkick followed by a knee smash to the face. Owens kicks out of another pin attempt and a disgruntled Dillinger begins to expose the turnbuckle. The ref stops him, but as the ref puts the turnbuckle back on Ty simply begins exposing the next one. It backfires as Owens sends Dillinger into the exposed turnbuckle and follows with a cannonball. He then finishes off Dillinger with a pop-up powerbomb for the victory. It was a good match made notable by a well- deserved main event role for Ty Dillinger, perhaps I won’t be able to call him underrated for much longer? After the match maybe feeling overly cheered Owens made sure to roll out of the ring and let a large group of fans in Finn Balor shirts know that “Finn Balor is nothing compared to me!”