NXT Wauchula 9-18-14

In the wake of Takeover, the stars of NXT took the action to the Hardee County Civic Center In Wauchula, Fl. It was a night of continued rivalries for some and new chapters for others. With many of the established main event stars touring with the WWE, it gave others some well deserved time to shine in the spotlight.

One half of the Mechanics Dash Wilder took on the highly athletic Jason Jordan in singles action. Jordan, who seemed to have a bit of a fire under him tonight interacted with the crowd before taking control of the match early on. Jordan showed us some of his impressive technical wrestling before Dash Wilder got the upper hand. I'm a fan of The Mechanics but tonight Wilder proved he is impressive on his own as well in this entertaining opening bout. But in the end it was all Jason Jordan as he got the pinfall victory over Dash Wilder with an olympic slam.

Ty Dillinger is out next to new eerie droning entrance music in black trunks and boots and carrying a deck of cards. He made his way into the ring seating himself in the corner laying out his cards on the mat. His opponent Elias Sampson is out next highly pumped and ready for a fight. This being only the second time I've seen Sampson compete he seems to be a wrestler to keep your eye on. He made a good showing but it was clearly a more aggressive Dillinger in control who picked apart his opponent quite methodically. He laid out Sampson with a brutal looking knee smash to the face and gaining the pinfall before laying an ace of spades on his defeated challengers chest. After, commentator Rich Brennan came into the ring to question Dillinger on the meaning of the cards. Ty gave a cryptic but admittedly intriguing promo illustrating how a deck of cards represent morality in a cruel world. He also said they represent chance, and by chance Sampson drew the wrong card tonight.... and paid for it. I for one am interested in seeing where this goes.

Next up was womens tag action as the team of Sasha Banks and Dana Brooke took on the Alexa Bliss and Bayley. I'm not sure if this was a debut for Brooke, but it was the first time I've seen her in action. While her newness may show she exhibits quite a bit of potential, the women of NXT catch on fast. A example of that would be Alexa Bliss who continues to get better every week. The stars of the match though were clearly the perennial underdog Bayley and the boss Sasha Bank, proving that they both have bright future in the WWE. The four gave us a solid back and forth match that appeared to be leaning in the favor of fan favorites Bliss and Bayley until Sasha stole it with a roll up and handful of tights.

The hippy everyone loves to hate CJ Parker is out next to avenge his recent loss to Baron Corbin. Parker put on much more of a fight than he did at Takeover as he attempted to take down the big man at several points with a sleeper hold. Despite his best efforts he would come up short yet again finding himself on the receiving end of Corbins reverse STO. CJ Parker is underrated, however his real strengths are not only selling moves, but even more so antagonizing the crowd.... of which he is a master of. Corbin on the other hand makes about everything he does look absolutely brutal. I can't wait to see where the coming months take the big guy.

The night continues with more womens action as the delty diva Becky Lynch challenged the champion Charlotte in a non-title match. Both women shined in one of my favorite matches of the evening. Charlotte is looking polished coming off of her biggest title defense while the energetic Becky Lynch should surely be a champion sooner than later. The two seem to have a good chemistry together that I'm hoping we'll get to see more of in the future. The Irish diva put up a great challenge but in the end Charlotte proved why she is champ making Becky “bow to the queen”.

The freshly bald Frenchman Marcus Louis made his way out with a ridiculous looking wig held on by wrestling headgear to get revenge on Big Colin Cassady. It was a short but entertaining match that had me laughing quite a bit thanks to Louis, who of course inevitably lost his wig not long before taking a big boot to the face. Things aren't going to well these days for the French baldie.

Next Angelo Dawkins and Bull Dempsey met yet again. A particularly mean looking Dempsey was in charge for most of the match and it looked as if it was a foregone conclusion that he would be victorious again. To the surprise of many including Bull, Dawkins managed to snag the victory with a sunset flip. Dempsey didn't take kindly and commenced to beat down a wounded Dawkins taking to the top turnbuckle to deliver a flying headbutt.

Our main event of the evening saw The Vaudevillians take on the team of Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy. Entering the ring to a new more ominous music Gotch and English put the villains in Vaudevillians. For a team that has been so incredibly over they are great in a heel role, as we've seen before from English. I was excited to see Murphy and Blake get a chance to shine in a main event capacity, and they are more than capable. The two have gelled really well together and hopefully this is a sign of them being headed into the tag team title picture. Lots of back and forth action in a match that was worthy of a main event with great moves from all the combatants. With a bit of questionable distraction and double teaming English gained the victory for his team with a running swinging neckbreaker for the pin on Blake.

All in all another great night of action from the men and women of NXT with hints of new and interesting development on the horizon.

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NXT Citrus Springs 9-6-14

The Superstars of NXT made one last stop on the way to NXT Takeover to bring their unique brand of hard-hitting action to Citrus Springs, Fl for the first time. The lively crowd filled the Citrus Springs Community Center for a night of excitement that would feature continued rivalries, an international superstar, and divas stealing the show.

Troy McClain made his way to the ring in his usual ring gear but without his headset microphone to take on the 2012 Olympian Chad Gable. This was my first time witnessing the young Olympian perform and I could tell from the opening moments of the contest that I would be a fan of Gable.

It was an entertaining opening bout that did a good job at presenting the newcomer Chad Gable who managed to snag the win with a bridging fallaway slam. With all the highly anticipated acquisitions recently signed to the WWE it would be easy for one to get lost amid the buzz, however I don't think that will be a problem for Gable who will soon be making waves of his own in NXT.

The evening continued with womens tag action as the team of Carmella and Sasha Banks took on the team of Kendall Skye and Alexa Bliss in a match that was a highlight of the night. Great job by all four women, Carmella has gotten good fast and deserves an in-ring television debut sooner than later. Alexa Bliss has come a long way as well. I see much potential in the highly athletic Kendall Skye and much enjoy her offense of kicks. For me though the star of the match was clearly Sasha Banks who continued to prove that she is indeed the boss. In the closing moments of the match Banks hit her patented back stabber transitioned into a crossface aka Boss Lock leaving Skye no choice but to tap out giving the victory to Banks and Carmella.

Next up, NXT commentator Rich Brennan made his way to the ring to introduce international superstar Kenta, one of the most eagerly anticipated athletes we've seen in a long time. Kenta gave a short promo promoting Takeover and even made his own network 9.99 reference. When Brennan asked for his prediction for the upcoming fatal four way match a mere five days away, the originator of the GTS made one thing clear; regardless of who walks out of Takeover as champion he will be meeting them in the future.

Our next match featured the last of a dying breed Bull Dempsey taking on Angelo Dawkins. Once again, I am not a fan of Dawkins gimmick at all, though that is no reflection on his athletic ability of which he has plenty. His potential shines though when he is not booked in squash matches and he put in a decent effort tonight against the human wrecking ball. Bull Dempsey looked especially aggressive and mean tonight as if he was out to prove all his naysayers wrong. Dempsey won the match with a perfectly executed flying headbutt off the top rope.

Sylvester Lefort made his way to the ring accompanied by Marcus Louis to take on the charismatic trash talker Enzo Amore followed by Big Colin Cassady with a bucket of permanent hair remover cream. Hilarity ensued as the Frenchman were running scared from Enzo and Cass with their trusty bucket of cream before referee Drake Wuertz had enough and ejected Louis, Cass, and the bucket from ringside. Without distraction the match continued with Sly in control for much of the match dishing out punishment to the underdog Amore. In the end when all hope seemed lost Amore managed to roll up the overconfident Frenchman from out of nowhere for the pinfall victory. A very angry Marcus Louis ran to the ring to commence a post match beatdown on Enzo before Big Cass with bucket in tow to clear the ring of the two villians. Props to all men, including Wuertz for really selling this one.

After a short intermission the action continued with six man tag action. The team of Ty Dillinger, Jason Jordan, and Sawyer Fulton faced off against Wesley Blake, Buddy Murphy, and Kalisto in a hard fought contest. The match began with plenty of back and forth wrestling until the heel team of Dillinger/Jordan/Fulton found themselves in control keeping Blake in for much of the match. In the end however as these matches often do it evolved into chaos with bodies everywhere and Kalisto getting the win over Dillinger. This was a highly energetic contest with often underrated athletes.

The intense Baron Corbin took on CJ Parker in one of my favorite bouts of the evening. Parker put in a good showing trying to take down the big man, and at some points the match could of went either way, as it has in the last few weeks. Ultimately, the hippie was no match for the especially intimidating Corbin. I've seen these two wrestle several times now and this was definitely their best outing.

Next, The Vaudevillians took on The Mechanics. I'm a big fan of both teams and found myself rooting for both of them at several points. It is the team of Gotch and English who are clearly over with the crowd, and it is puzzling to me that they are not booked for Takeover. Dawson and Wilder are a great, mean team and would love to see them feud with the aforementioned Blake and Murphy one day.

However, The Mechanics would be no match tonight for crowd favorites The Vaudevillians.

In our main event womens champion Charlotte wrestled Bayley in a non-title match. I've witnessed these two ladies compete several times now, and while they have never disappointed this was easily their best match to date. The match went back and forth until Charlotte found herself in control. For much of the match it looked as if she had the match won until lovable underdog Bayley mounted a comeback and beat the champ cleanly in the middle of the ring. Can she pull this off again in just five days at NXT Takeover?

All in all, it was another fun night of NXT action that sent the crowd home happy. With many of the usual headliners away with the WWE this weekend, it gave other superstars a chance to shine a bit.... and indeed, they did shine.

Next stop: NXT Takeover

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NXT Palatka 8-30-14

Tonight the NXT superstars made another stop on the road to Takeover as they brought another night of hard hitting action to the National Guard Armory in Palatka, Fl. Many of the matches were repeats from the night before (see the Tampa 8-29-14 post) with some deviation. Here's a quick rundown of tonights matches.

The Vaudevillians once again defeated The Mechanics. The team of Gotch and English has gelled so well together and are so over with the crowd it is obvious to state that they will soon find themselves at the top of the tag team division. I only hope the rough and ready to fight team of Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder don't get lost in the shuffle, they stand in contrast to some of the more over the top gimmicks we see in wrestling today. We need more no-nonsense wrestlers.

The upset of the night came when CJ Parker put a stop to Baron Corbins path of destruction. After trying to take the big man down with several sleeper holds he managed to snag the victory over Corbin with a palm strike to the face followed by a DDT. I understand that Parker is no jobber, but this victory really seemed to halt the momentum that they have been building with Baron Corbin.

In divas tag team action Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss took on Carmella and Kendall Skye in a very entertaining contest. The energetic Becky Lynch was impressive as always. Carmella has gotten really good in a short time, not just her ring skills either but working the crowd as well. The winners of the match, Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss.

Next, The Boss Sasha Banks made her way to the ring to give a promo regarding the upcoming NXT Takeover and the fact that she doesn't have a match. She put both Bayley and Charlotte on notice though saying she would be there to make an impact. I'd watch my back if I were the champ.

Enzo Amore took on Sylvester Lefort and found himself to be the recipient of a lot of punishment from the cunning Frenchman. Though in the end the underdog Amore got a surprise pin on the over confident Lefort much to the ire of Marcus Louis who ran out for a post match beatdown before Colin Cassady made the save. Enzo did a great job of selling the offense of Slyvester Lefort, a man who is quickly becoming a favorite heel.

Next, Kalisto teamed with Solomon Crowe to battle the absolutely destructive Ascension. Unfortunately a match that all the potential of being a show stealer was cut short due to injury. Following Solomon Crowe executing a flying head scissors to Viktor both men hit the mat but Crowe didn't make it back up. He seemed to be in a great deal of pain and clutching his leg. The referee called the match and it was awarded to The Ascension. Following the bell medics and staff made there way to the ring to help the immobilized Crowe to his feet and into the back. I do not yet know the extent of the injury, I simply know it came at a bad time, when it seems as if we are finally close to a Solomon Crowe debut.

NXT Womens champ Charlotte took on fan favorite Bayley in another solid bout from the two ladies. The genetically superior champ seemed to have the match won until Sasha Banks came out and caused a distraction that would allow Bayley to land her belly-to-Bayley suplex on Charlotte for the three count.

The last of a dying breed Bull Dempsey was out next to take on the hyped Mojo Rawley. Although a lot of crowds seem to be growing weary of the Rawley gimmick, Palatka was clearly a pro-Mojo crowd. The wrecking ball Dempsey found himself in control much of the match with an arsenal of smashmouth moves but he allowed Mojo an opening which ultimately cost him the match.

The main event of the evening was a fatal four way featuring Sami Zayn vs Tyler Breeze vs Justin Gabriel vs Adrian Neville in an absolutely awesome match that foreshadowed what we have to look forward to in less than two weeks at Takeover. The bodies were flying and the crazy spots were numerous. In the final moments Zayn landed a helluva kick to Neville in the corner and went for the pin only to have Tyler Breeze yank him out of the ring and steal the victory. Great wrestling, great selling, great crowd interaction, this match was all positives. Replace Gabriel with Tyson Kidd and there is your Takeover main event, easily the best main event of all the live specials is coming your way really soon.

In the last month or so I've seen several memorable main events featuring Neville, Zayn, Breeze, and Kidd in all permutations from one on one to fatal four way. At some point all four men have been victorious. Who will walk away winner and champion on September 11^th at Takeover? I offer no predictions other that the fans will be walking away very, very happy.

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NXT Tampa 8-29-14

Tonight the weather in Tampa Bay was wet and humid, but inside the UADC Gymnasium the action could not have been any hotter as the athletes of NXT brought the fight back to the city where it all started. Rivalries continued and perhaps the future was foreshadowed on the road to NXT Takeover.

In the opening bout of the evening The Mechanics took on fan favorites The Vaudevillians. The two teams fought hard in a match that was a highlight of the night. The antics and showboating of Gotch and English stand in sharp contrast to the tough no nonsense team of Dawson and Wilder. The Vaudevillians are looking better every match, between the unique gimmick of Gotch and the charisma of English it's no wonder they are so over with the fans right now. However, don't overlook The Mechanics who have all the tools to make it to the top of the division and are quickly becoming a favorite of this blogger. Tonight the Vaudevillians would find themselves victorious as English pinned Wilder following an impressive senton from the second turnbuckle.

Baron Corbin made his way to the ring with an eerie intensity to take on everyones favorite hippy CJ Parker. Surprisingly Parker got in quite a bit of offense and presented Corbin with his biggest challenge since he's taken this new direction. However, it wasn't enough to faze the 6' 8” beast who easily made quick work of CJ Parker. It was a short match that was still a step up from the last few squash matches, but still did a great job of making Corbin look like a very dangerous man and a future major player.

The action continued with divas tag team action as the team of Sasha Banks and Carmella faced the surprising pairing of Becky Lynch and Kendall Skye. I've went on record before stating that I expect great things from the natural heel Carmella and the highly athletic Skye, but tonight the stars of the match were most definitely Lynch and Banks. The two continue to prove that they are indeed the future of the divas division. Despite the fact that it was a very pro-Becky crowd, the bad girls managed to snag a victory when Kendall Skye tapped to Banks Boss Lock.

Next, Solomon Crowe made his way to the ring to deliver an excellent promo. He made sure to remind us that before he made his way to this company he was a big deal, but it doesn't matter now because he is in NXT which is the best thing going on in wrestling today. He tells us he is willing to start at the bottom but he will kick in opportunities door when the time is right. Crowe appeared very comfortable behind the microphone, and the promo was an improvement upon an already good promo. Hopefully a big Crowe push is not far away.

Sylvester Lefort accompanied to the ring by Marcus Louis took on the highly charismatic Enzo Amore accompanied by Big Cass. The match began with plenty of trash talking and hijinks before referee Drake Wuertz had enough and ejected both Louis and Cass from ringside. Lefort kept control most of the match while Amore mounted offense in small bursts. In the end, the perhaps over confident Frenchmen was duped by a surprise pin leaving Amore victorious. Louis ran to the ring to commence a post match beat down before Big Colin Cassady made the save, along with the trusty bucket of hair remover. If Amore can pull this off again a mere weeks away at Takeover Lefort will lose a lot more than a match, but his head full of locks as well in a hair vs hair match.

More tag team action followed as the two man juggernaut known as The Ascension took on the team of Kalisto and Justin Gabriel. NXT has done a great job of building up The Ascension, they seem so indestructible that you never believe anyone will beat them, even a team made up of frenetic Kalisto and former Nexus member Justin Gabriel. It was a surprisingly slower paced match that saw Konnor and Viktor in control much of the match keeping the two high-fliers grounded. At one point Gabriel gave Konnor a legit busted nose which seemed to slow the match a little bit. In the closing moments of the match Kalisto found himself victim to The Fall Of Man leaving NXT tag team champs The Ascension victorious yet again.

Underdog Bayley once again went to battle with NXT womens champion Charlotte. I've seen these two compete several times now and it has become apparent that fans will be in for a treat when these two wrestle with the title on the line at Takeover. Bayley brought the fight to Charlotte but came up short in the end. Will history repeat its self at Takeover? At this point I could see it going either way.

The always hyped Mojo Rawley attempted to gain a little retribution from NXTs resident wrecking ball Bull Dempsey. It was a short match that featured a lot of back and forth action from the two big guys. The highlight of the match came when Bull performed a surprising flying head butt from the top rope giving him the pinfall victory over Mojo. I enjoyed the new offense from Dempsey.

Our main event and Takeover preview was a non-title fatal four way featuring Tyson Kidd vs Tyler Breeze vs Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville. The match started building slowly until you couldn't blink for fear of missing the action. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, and many times standing to see the bodies flying in and outside the ring. I was never too big of a Kidd fan before tonight despite his obvious athleticism, but I find myself a fan now. Kidd trying to start his own "Tyson" chant was priceless. He seems to be finding his footing in the heel role while the other three men stole the show as always. The action was fast and the jaw dropping moments were numerous. In the final chaotic moments of the night Zayn hit a helluva kick to Neville in the corner and went for the pin. Kidd pulled Zayn out of the ring by the feet and stole the pinfall victory. His celebration would be short lived though when Zayn gave him a helluva kick and ejected him from the ring. I say with confidence if these men can repeat this performance at Takeover mere weeks away we will have a match of the year contender on our hands.

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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?

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NXT Cocoa 8-9-14

NXT fans fought nasty weather and soaring temperatures converging on the National Guard Armory in Cocoa Fl for even hotter matches. As per usual the crowd would not be disappointed, filled with matches so good they were worth doing twice. For those who haven't read my previous post (Orlando 8-7-14) here is a quick run down of tonights matches.

Angelo Dawkins gained an upset victory over Bull Dempsey, only to suffer a post match beat down.

Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore defeated The Mechanics

Sasha Banks gave a promo concerning NXT Takeover

The Legionnaires gained another questionable win over Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake.

Tyler Breeze defeated CJ Parker

Charlotte defeated Bayley

Baron Corbin squashed Steve Cutler

The Vaudevillians defeated The Ascension. In the final moments of the night Konnor took a nasty spill out of the ring busting his head open.

In our main event NXT champ Adrian Neville pinned Sami Zayn via a 450 splash

It was a great card that did not disappoint. Here are a few thoughts at the end of a long night.

NXT faithfuls will tell you that NXT surpassed the main roster on a lot of different levels, for instance the quality of womens matches. Guaranteed you will soon hear just as many touting the quality of the tag team division as well. The division which seemed to suffer for so long is now hotter than ever, as you can tell by the number of tag matches and the quality of all the teams.

I'm enjoying the new attitude and intensity from Baron Corbin, a man who clearly has the talent and the look may have found the gimmick. Hopefully, the powers that be pull the trigger and give him a serious push soon.

All roads are leading to the next live NXT special on the WWE Network (for only 9.99) and it may have the best card yet of all the specials. The guys and girls seem to be working hard to ensure that it will be a success. Charlotte and Bayley have been putting on great matches and seem to have really developed an excellent chemistry with each other. Before it's all said and done they may just steal the show. Of course the main event of NXT Takeover is enough to sell the entire special, and anyone who has been seeing the recent house show performances by Neville, Zayn, and Breeze should be very excited.

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NXT Orlando 8-7-14

The Orlando Armory was standing room only as fans anxiously anticipated another night of hard hitting wrestling action and the athletes of NXT did not fail to deliver.

The night began with Bull Dempsey taking on Angelo Dawkins. This being another in a series of matches between the two men it is apparent they are getting quite familiar with each others ring work.

Bull seems to be getting rougher and I enjoyed seeing some old fashioned heel moves like raking the face against the boot laces. The more I see Dawkins perform the more obvious his athleticism becomes, a gimmick change could really do him wonders. The winner was Dempsey via pinfall.

Next up, Big Cass and Enzo Amore competed against “The Mechanics” Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. The match started off with some nice trash talking between Dawson and Amore before the action began. Amore and Cassady exude charisma and take control of a room as soon as they step through the curtains and continues into the ring. Dawson and Wilder have gelled well in a short time, they're not the flashiest team around but guaranteed they are going to be major players in the tag team division before it is all said and done. Referee Drake Wuertz awarded the match to Cass and Enzo via DQ when Wilder failed to get out of the ring. Just a little too short, but it was a fun match nonetheless.

Sasha Banks made her way to the ring for brief promo. She mentioned the upcoming NXT Takeover and voiced her unhappiness that she wasn't booked, but vowed she would make an impact. I hope so, you can't have another special event without the boss of NXT.

Tag team action continued as the team of Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake took on “The Legionnaires” Sylvester Lefort and Marcus Louis. I think Murphy and Blake have tons of potential (and the coolest entrance music, since the powers that be couldn't leave Crowes music alone). The Legionnaires are just great heels. In the age of “cool heels” they are classic heels who couldn't win a match without cheating if their careers depended on it. Alright, they're still pretty cool though, and they walked away with another questionable victory.

Next up, our ring announcer Jojo made her way back into the ring and took a moment to wish a happy birthday to me, your humble blogger. It was a special moment made more surreal by the select members of the crowd chanting my name. While I'm sure I was red as a beet, the wrestling nerd in me marked out quite a bit.

The action continued with CJ Parker taking on Prince Pretty himself, Tyler Breeze in an exciting match. Parker is underrated and a great antagonist, he gave a pretty good pre-match promo putting hecklers in their place with ease. Breeze of course continued to prove that he is main event caliber, winning the match via pinfall following a devastating superkick.

After a short intermission we resume the show with Divas action as everyones favorite Bayley takes on the Womens Champion Charlotte. These two who were already so good seem to be getting better at every event. They're getting their chops down for sure and I can't wait for the world to see what we are privy to see come September 11^th at Takeover. The winner via pinfall was Charlotte.

Next up Baron Corbin completely squashed Steve Cutler. Corbin is completely no nonsense making his way to the ring with no entrance music. Totally focused, totally intense like an animal stalking his prey.

I've always thought Corbin had it, but this new direction is even better (and more intimidating).

We follow with more tag team action as the two most over tag teams in NXT lock up again, The Ascension and The Vaudevillians. I am a big fan of both teams, but for me, as with most people it is a foregone conclusion that The Ascension is always going to decimate their opposition. That is why I, and most fans in attendance were in absolute shock to see The Vaudevillians victorious. A great job from all four men, an epic contest with an unimaginable ending.

Our main event of the evening featured Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville. I could watch these two battle at every event and never tire of their superb ring work and excellent chemistry. In NXT these guys are main eventers, but put them on the main roster and you'll call them show stealers, guaranteed. The action was high impact and the high spots were numerous, but in the end after much back and forth action Adrian Neville won via a perfect 450 splash. Adrian Neville walks out with his head held high and the NXT strap over his shoulder, but will he be so fortunate in just three weeks?

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