10/28 WWE NXT Report – Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Breeze, more

This week’s WWE NXT episode features Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Breeze in the main event one week after Breeze made his main roster debut. Plus, hype for next week’s big NXT Title match.

WWE NXT Results
October 28, 2015
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor

[Q1] No pre-credits video tonight. Advertised is Dash & Dawson against Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady, billed as them jockeying for position in the Tag Division, and Samoa Joe faces Tyler Breeze in a grudge match.

Emma’s music brings her out with Dana Brooke. They are facing “Shazza,” who is from Sydney Australia. Shazza’s presentation seems similar to Alexa Bliss’s original presentation, with a skirt.

1 – EMMA vs. SHAZZA

Lots of stalling early on. Emma outsmarts Shazza and puts boots to her. Shazza comes off the mat and eats a big right. Emma with some really heelish offense. Emma gloats, letting Shazza roll her up for two. Emma isn’t pleased and takes out her anger on Shazza.

Shazza tries to rally, but Emma sends her to the mat by the hair. Emma smashes Shazza’s face into the turnbuckle. Shazza rallies for real, but is selling a back injury. Drop toe hold followed by the Emmamite Sandwich. The Emma Lock ends it.

WINNER: Emma in 4:10. Good match to reinforce that Emma can get a clean win and remind us of her signature moveset. I really liked seeing Emma with a super heelish presentation.

Post-match, Emma doesn’t let the ref raise her hand, giving Brooke the honors. Emma and Brooke kick Shazza from the ring.

Recap of the James Storm debut last week.

Tom Philips interviewed James Storm last week. Philips comments on the positive reaction. Storm talks up his “We Are NXT” shirt, and says that the crowd made him feel like he deserves it. He talked like someone who is staying.

Up next is Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa facing Jason Jordan and Chad Gable. I expect a lot from this match. Advertised for next week is Apollo Crews getting his championship shot against Finn Balor.

Video package. The NXT fans outside the NXT arena talk up how much they love Finn Balor. Becky Lynch is in tears talking about Balor. Clips from Japan. Soundbytes from Matt Bloom. Candid conversation from Balor, as he’d rather fail at something he loves than succeed at something he hates. Recent clips show Balor with his current presentation. Clips from his indy history all over the world.

[ J.J.’s Reax: They are going hard with the super-face vs. super-face presentation of this championship match, which is just fine with me. ]

[Q2] Jason Jordan and Chad Gable get a good reaction and are smiles on their way out. These two have gotten themselves over with a face reaction by putting on high quality matches. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa also get a good reaction from the crowd.

2 – JOHNNY GARGANO & TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. JASON JORDAN & CHAD GABLE

Gable and Ciampa start, and the crowd is totally behind Gable. Handshake to show respect. Test of strength. Ciampa forces Gable into a bridge, then jumps on Gable, but Gable doesn’t collapse. Monkey flip into a double cover, then double bridge while the hands are interlocked. This is some fantastic mat work here from both. Wristlock from Ciampa, but Gable spins away and locks in an armbar. The crowd is just nuts for Gable.

Jordan in. Double armdrag doesn’t even get one. The crowd is super hot for this match. Stiff lariat lets Ciampa tag Gargano. Double team on Jordan only gets one. Gargano locks down Jordan. Lots of sudden reverses, then Jordan catches Gargano and plants him in the corner with a dive. Gable and Jordan politely communicate with each other.

Gable gets caught on double knees right into the turnbuckle. Gargano tries to capitalize, but Gable locks in an armbar through the ropes. Ciampa in and Gable fends him off. Gable is so smooth and natural in this match. Gable avoids a double team, but gets lost in the action and Gargano spears him through the ropes.

[ Break ]

Gable is taking a beating out of the break. Gargano and Ciampa with some heelish team techniques to put more heat on Gable. Jordan and Gable are getting the face team treatment from the announce team, and they are in the “babyface corner.” Gable sells an abdominal stretch. Dropkick to the back of Gable’s head gets two. Sudden roll-up gets a two count for Gable. Gable tosses Gargano and makes the tag.

Jordan levels Ciampa then Gargano. Sweet offense from Jordan, with Lesnar-like suplexes, but Gargano breaks up a cover. Things break down, and the ref is distracted with Gable while Jordan gets double-teamed. Slingshot DDT, but Gable breaks up the cover. Gargano is furious. The crowd still really hot for this match. Jordan dlips over on a team suplex, huge toss into the air, then another into the neckbreaker from Gable.

WINNERS: Jason Jordan and Chad Gable in 12:02. That was a really great, PPV quality match. The hot crowd helped. Jordan and Gable are really clicking. Something changed, particularly in Jordan in the last few months that just took these two to a great level. Interesting to see Ciampa and Gargano as the heels here. I’d like to see them get some wins and credibility.

Post-match, Saxton and Graves agree that Jordan and Gable are awesome.

[Q3] Devin Taylor asks Bayley about Alexa Bliss. Bayley is disappointed by Bliss’s behavior, but talks with confidence.

Eva Maria is still in France and she misses us, and hopes we miss her soon. She says she will be back soon.

Making her debut is Kay Lee Ray from Glasgow, Scotland. Does NXT hate American women now? The announcers acknowledge Nia Jax’s relationship to The Rock.

3 – NIA JAX vs. KAY LEE RAY

Jax lets Ray have it easy at first. Ray tries a waistlock, but Jax wedges her way out and hits a headbutt. Ray with some high-speed offense, but Jax shrugs it off. Jax dodges a springboard dropkick and lands elbow drops. Jax manhandles Ray. Ray with an unproductive dropkick. Jax muscles through the offense, then catches Ray and sends her to the mat hard. Leg drop ends it.

WINNER: Nia Jax in 2:36. I am liking the presentation of Jax with a strong, powerful moveset. Ray provided a nice contrast to her style.

Amore and Cassady get ambushed by Dash and Dawson on their way to the ring. They destroy Cassady’s knee. A ref makes the save. Undertaker could have used this brave ref Sunday night. A trainer runs out to check on Cassady. Dawson mocks Cassady’s knee on his way out. More refs come out and chastise Dash and Dawson and check on Cassady.

Backstage with Alexa Bliss, Buddy Murphy, and Wesley Black. Bliss tells Tim Phillips to shut up. She challenges Bayley and two losers willing to team up with her to a six-person mixed team match. The Vaudevillains? Jordan and Gable? There are so many quality teams in NXT right now.

“Who is Apollo Crews” Part Two. Crews still can’t believe his success in NXT. Clips from the indies. He talks about verbally slipping on his debut because he was so surprised by the reception. His debut was on his birthday. You know Vince McMahon doesn’t book NXT because Crews would have lost on his birthday. Re-hash of the Battle Royal that made Crews the #1 contender.

[Q4] Crews says he thinks he has more room to grow. Crews talks up Balor, but says Balor has never faced someone like him. Crews never wants to feel like he’s “made it.” Facing Balor is a great honor, and Balor is a great friend to him. Crews vows to win.

[ J.J.’s Reax: Really liked that video package. Crews comes off as genuine, real, and likable. NXT is just packed with these kinds of babyfaces that you can’t boo. ]

Clips of Tyler Breeze’s Smackdown debut as he makes his entrance. Breeze lounges in the ropes without a care in the world as Samoa Joe’s music hits. Joe is all business.

4 – SAMOA JOE vs. TYLER BREEZE

The crowd is split down the middle on this match. Breeze teases a lock-up, then ducks out of the ring to frustrate Joe. Joe wants to pound Breeze’s face in, but Breeze ducks under the ropes again. Breeze gores under the ropes, so Joe chases, but Breeze ambushes Joe in the ring. Breeze has Joe in the corner. Clothesline drops Joe, so Breeze hangs out on the ropes. Joe gets to his feet and kicks Breeze out of the corner, then unloads in the corner. Breeze rolls to the outside to get some rest. Joe throws himself through the ropes and Breeze is knocked silly.

[ Break ]

Breeze is still on the defensive. Enziguri puts Breeze on the mat. Joe starts to pick Breeze a part. Breeze with some offense. Breeze with an armbar into a Backstabber of sorts gets one. Breeze yells at the ref for giving him warnings and Joe comes back with chops, but runs into a dropkick for a two count. Rear chinlock from Breeze. Joe tries to muscle out but Breeze keeps him grounded. Rich Brennan reminds us that Breeze never wins big matches.

Atomic drop, big boot, senton, and Joe gets two. Scoop slam gets Joe another two count. Breeze runs right into a one-armed slam. Joe yells at Breeze, “Is this what you want?” Musclebuster attempt, but Breeze slides down and gets a roll-up for two. Supermodel Kick for a nearfall. Breeze is insane with anger. Joe recovers as Breeze fumes. They trade bombs. That’s a losing proposition for Breeze. Breeze hits a kick and Joe responds with a chop. Breeze with a roll-up, but Joe kicks out, which sends Breeze into the air… and right into the Kokita Clutch. Breeze eventually taps.

WINNER: Samoa Joe via submission in 8:57. Breeze looked really credible against Joe and this was a fun match. Joe came off as a stone cold killer.

Backstage interview with Finn Balor. He is excited to be facing Crews. Balor says that Crews is the real deal, as he beat Samoa Joe, Tyler Breeze, and Baron Corbin. But, he hasn’t beaten Finn Balor. Someday Apollo Crews will become NXT Champion, but not next week.

[ J.J.’s Reax: Balor’s promos have gotten so strong. Great, short work here. ]

<b>Final Reax:</b> Really strong episode. It is hard to predict the end game of much of the action here. They will want to get Joe on the roster sooner rather than later, but he is the natural #1 contender for the NXT Championship. The Women’s Division has been infused with a pile of new talent. And the tag team division has quietly rebuilt itself to being the best it has ever been, getting (and deserving) a full segment each week. Dash & Dawson and Jordan & Gable are the big stand-outs in the new crowd to go with The Vaudevillains, who have been great as champions.